Marcellus Hall and Icyleen Morris Hall Oral History

Authors

St. Cloud State University

Document Type

Interview

Publication Date

6-16-1977

Abstract

Biographical Information:

Marcellus Hall

Marcellus Hall was born August 24, 1901 in St. Cloud to Mathew and Anna (Volz) Hall. He married Laura Icyleen Morris on June 27, 1929. Marcellus lived all his life in St. Cloud and worked as an officer of Mathew Hall Lumber Co. until his retirement in 1966. He then opened his own company named Hall Building Materials in Albany. Marcellus was a prominent member of religious councils like Knights of Columbus. On June 27, 1929, Marcellus married Laura Icyleen Morris and five children – Yvonne, Richard, Donald, Robert, and Jerome. He died on December 26, 1998 while visiting his daughter Yvonne in St. Louis, Missouri, and buried in St. Cloud’s Calvary Cemetery.

Laura Icyleen Morris Hall

Laura Icyleen Morris Hall was born in February 11, 1903 in Douglas County, Minnesota to Louis and Henrietta (Flesch) Morris. She graduated from St. Cloud State Teacher’s College in 1922 and taught for seven years at schools in Princeton, Foley, Napa and Minneapolis, Minnesota. She was an active member of many religious councils and other St. Cloud area organizations including Daughters of Isabella and the Cub Scouts. Icyleen died on December 19, 1995 and buried in St. Cloud’s Calvary Cemetery.

Transcript Summary:

In an interview conducted on June 16, 1977, Marcellus Hall talked about his family and ancestry. He said that his mother was born and raised in St. Cloud while his father was from Germany and moved to the United States when he was around 18 years old in the early 1880s. He discussed how his father started the Mathew Lumber Co. in 1889 in St. Cloud. Beginning in 1918, Marcellus worked at the lumber company, selling it in 1965 with his brothers who were partners. He discussed the lumber business in in the St. Cloud area during the first half of the 20^th century, especially the effect of the Depression and World War II. He recounted how they were also engaged in coal business in St. Cloud and remembered supplying coal to St. Cloud State.

Icyleen Hall discussed her family and about her own legal name and the baptized name. She recalled how her parents came to Minnesota to farm. Icyleen graduated St. Cloud State College in 1922 and taught as a teacher in many places including Princeton, Foley, and Minneapolis. She recalled how she first met Marcellus at a dance in the Shoemaker Hall.

Interview by Cal Gower and James Robak

Comments

Image ID: 13661

See additional files below for full transcript.

Recommended Citation

St. Cloud State University, "Marcellus Hall and Icyleen Morris Hall Oral History" (1977). General. 11.
https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/gen_oh/11