Oralene Marie (Hall) Winchell

Oralene Marie (Hall) Winchell

Sep. 24, 1943 - July 6, 2024

McCOOK, Neb. - Oralene Marie (Hall) Winchell, age 80, passed away in the early hours of Saturday, July 6, 2024, after a short losing battle with cancer. She was born in Mitchell, Neb. on Sep. 24, 1943. Daughter of Oral and Pansy (Trauernicht) Hall.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Ruth Snare; sister-in-law; Judy Hall; brothers-in-law, Ken McMillan and Jesse Crain; nieces, Kelley Crane and Tracy Walker; nephew, Tyler Hall; and numerous aunts uncles, and cousins.

Oralene attended and graduated from Mitchell High School. She received her B.A. from Kearney State College and her master’s degree from Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Ore. On May 5, 1990, she married Jim Winchell in Garden City Kan. Oralene and Jim began married life in Aurora, Colo.

Oralene taught choir, vocal music and band from elementary school to college in Nebraska, Oregon, Colorado, and Kansas. She was the director of the Salem Argonauts Drum and Bugle Corp. She also taught piano and vocal music, in her home. She retaught herself to play organ for Peace Lutheran Church in McCook. She wrote and directed plays and musicals for various charitable organizations. In her spare time, she painted landscapes and greeting cards.

She is survived by her husband, Jim Winchell; her son, Ross (Kristen) Hoffman of Brighton, Colo.; daughter, Ronda Hoffman of Denver. Colo.; stepson, Chad Winchell; stepdaughters, Tonya (Kort) Hamilton of Thedford, Neb. and Tancy Winchell of Rapid City, S.D. She is also survived by her grandsons, Nick Cunningham of Phoenix, Ariz. and Brigham Hoffman of Brighton, Colo.; granddaughter, Jacie Hamilton of Thedford; sisters, Patricia Crane of Denver, Colo. and Kay McMillan of Louisville, Ken.; and a brother, Gary Hall of Greeley, Colo.