Marjorie Ann Hales, known lovingly to many as "Jan," passed away on March 20, 2026, at the age of 91. She was a woman of deep faith, unwavering devotion, and remarkable strength, and she leaves behind a legacy of love that will be felt for generations to come.

Jan was born on November 11, 1934, in Deutschburg, Texas, to John Calvin Cavallin and Mary Louise Naquin. She grew up surrounded by a close-knit family, and even from a young age she carried a deep love for the people around her. That love for family would become one of the defining threads of her entire life. She graduated from Palacios High School in 1952 and went on to build a life full of purpose, hard work, and generosity.

She married Claude Hales, Jr., and together they shared 54 wonderful years of marriage. Jan was the kind of woman who poured herself into everything she did. She served as an agent for Trailways Bus Station and Western Union for 18 years, bringing the same dependability and care to her work that she brought to every part of her life. She and Claude owned and operated Bay City Sand for 17 years, building something together through hard work and dedication. Jan also served for numerous years as the director of the local Salvation Army in Bay City, giving back to a community that meant so much to her.

More than anything, Jan loved her family deeply and would do anything for them. Her grandchildren held a particularly special place in her heart and she spoiled them at every opportunity and she took grand mothering to a whole new level. Spoiling them was not just a hobby; it was a calling she embraced with pure joy. Her home was a place of warmth, her arms were always open, and her heart always had room for one more.

Jan had a profound love for Jesus and His word. She read her Bible daily and was a devoted student of scripture. Her curiosity about faith led her to study many different religions, not out of doubt or to waiver from her own beliefs, but to better understand what others believed and how it compared to her own walk with the Lord. She loved listening to gospel music, and her relationship with the Lord was the cornerstone of her life. Her faith was not something she simply practiced on Sundays; it was woven into every part of who she was. Those who knew her understood that her kindness, her generosity, and her tireless devotion all flowed from that deep well of faith.

Jan was preceded in death by her parents, John Calvin Cavallin and Mary Louise Naquin; her beloved husband, Claude Hales, Jr.; her sister, Grace Susan Schneider; and her brothers, Marshall Warren Cavallin and Rodney Allen Cavallin.

She is survived by her brother, John Edward Cavallin; her sons, Gary W. Hales and Kenneth D. Hales and his wife Dianna; her daughter, Lori L. Hales; her grandchildren, Jered Hales, Jennifer Brown, Chris Hales, Clayton Hales, Kari Heard, Amy McLain, and Sarah Reed; 16 great grandchildren along with numerous other family members and friends who were blessed to know her and will miss her greatly.

Visitation will be held on Monday, March 23, 2026, from 1:00 to 2:00 PM, at Taylor Bros. Funeral Home, followed by a graveside service at 2:30 PM at Roselawn Memorial Park in Van Vleck, Texas, with Pastor Sonny Salas officiating.

Jan would want us to take comfort in knowing one of her favorite scriptures, the words that always brought her peace: "Absent from the body… present with the Lord." 2 Corinthians 5:8. 

She is home now, and what a joyful homecoming it must be.