'Easy' Hall is always ready for action

"Easy" Hall loves old wagons. This one was used by calvery officers and was given to him by a friend for use in trailrides and parades. -Staff photo by Taylor

December 13, 2001 -- Growing up in West Texas in the 1930s, Hubert "Easy" Hall knew all about farm life. As one of six children, he always had his share of chores, before and after school. He always liked horses and knew that ... someday ... he would have a place of his own where he could have animals and land.

After graduating from high school at the age of 16, Hall wanted to join the Army-Air Corps, but his dad would not sign for him, since he was under age and his dad needed help getting the crops out of the fields.

In late October of 1940, after the final load of crops were harvested, his dad surprised him.

"'Son, do you still want to join the military?' he asked me, and I said, 'Yes sir!'," said Hall.

"'Well come on down off that bale and I'll take you to town and sign for you,' he said."

Hall said that while scrambling to get off the bale as quickly as possible, he ripped the backside out of a "brand new pair of overalls." When his dad called his attention to the problem, Hall told him not to worry, that "he wouldn't be needing them, again."

After a 27 year military career, which included being the second youngest man promoted to First Sergeant in the Army-Air Corps in 1942, to witnessing a full attack on Guadalcanal and a direct commission, Hall retired from the military in July of 1967 and returned to the land.

He purchased 52 acres outside of New Braunfels and began still another career in real estate. After 15 years, he decided to retire from that and raise his horses, mules and mixed breed cattle.

During the first 30 years after the military, Hall was the trailboss for hundreds of trailrides, only retiring from that in the last few years due to health problems.

Today, Hall and his wife, Barbara, drive a "surrey with the fringe on top" in several trailrides each year, and enjoy taking care of their animals and traveling.

Hall said that in the early '70s, he planted mostly Tam Winter Harding grass, milo, oats and corn.

"In 1974, I planted five acres of Klein grass. That grass offered nine and a half months of grazing for the animals," he said.

By '78, he had converted 16 acres to Klein grass and 20 acres were in oats, milo and corn. He said that the Klein grass is very high in protein and makes excellent feed for the animals.

In the past years, Hall has been growing other grasses, trying to find just the right blend for his area and needs. He has 10 acres in Guardo, which he says is "very good," and 10 acres in Johnson grass.

While he has always loved horses, Hall really has a special relationship with his mules.

"A rancher friend of mine gave me two mules. One is named 'Senator,' and I call him 'the Politician,'" said Hall.

He uses a team to pull his surrey in the trailrides, and was pleasantly surprised when one that was given to him gave birth to a little jenny.

After winning several battles with cancer, Hall is sporting a neck brace for about three months. Seems he was out for a ride in one of his little carts with a mule when the mule was spooked by honey bees.

While he managed to hold on and steer the mule and cart from the road all the way to the back gate at his home, the final turn turned the cart over and Hall was thrown from the cart. Fortunately, his injuries were no worse, but he did receive a cracked vertebra in his neck.

It hasn't slowed him down, much, and he said it just "goes to show you" that even with lots of experience, you never know what's going to happen.

Hall is eager to recover so he and his wife can go to Alaska in the snow. At 79, he wants to try a snowmobile.