Rev. Jennifer "Jenn" Hall

Rev. Jennifer “Jenn” Hall (they/them) was born on June 21, 1967, in Denton, Texas. On March 19, 2023, Jenn died at the age of 55. Jenn resided in Des Moines, IA, with their spouse, Cyndi, and beloved animals.

Growing up, Jennifer was born the first of five siblings. At age fifteen, they moved from their hometown in Texas to Edmond, Oklahoma. Jenn was heavily involved in FFA, often bathing and styling sheep in their mama’s kitchen.

While still living in Oklahoma, Jenn earned their bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Central Oklahoma.

A job at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville brought Jenn to St. Louis, Missouri. Jennifer played rugby and earned the title of “Rookie of the Year.” The years spent playing rugby were some of Jenn’s most fond and treasured memories. They formed lifelong bonds with the team and enjoyed recounting stories of their rugby days frequently.

In St. Louis, Jennifer attended seminary and earned their MDiv at Eden Theological Seminary. After graduating, they got ordained with MCC (Metropolitan Community Churches) and moved to Des Moines, Iowa, to do their Chaplain residency.

Jenn worked as a hospital chaplain and became a certified Clinical Pastoral Educator. They were a gifted chaplain and a dedicated educator, scholar, and theologian. Through their chaplaincy work and work in chemical dependency, Jenn impacted a vast number of lives.

Outside of their job responsibilities, Jenn lived and breathed diversity, equity, and inclusion. They valued connecting their own identities and life experiences to become an advocate for others through their work at the hospital and within their community involvement.

To their core, Jenn was outrageous, gregarious, outgoing, and loyal. Jennifer embodied easy conversation, deep belly laughs, quiet understanding, and comforting support. Jenn loved connecting with people from all walks of life and building meaningful relationships.

Jenn, nicknamed “Beefy” by many, valued learning and personal growth. They loved spending time with all sorts of people, connecting, and learning from others. Jenn approached life with honesty, humility, transparency, and warmth, always speaking their truth. They had a profound belief in humanity, forever giving people grace and compassion. Jenn loved to talk theology over sour beer, and their boisterous laughter echoed in all the spaces they occupied. Jenn had the unique ability to laugh and cry at the same time, with a friend saying, “Jenn’s heart was so big it wouldn’t really fit in their chest.”

Jennifer valued their family, friends, and animals, many of their friends who became chosen family. Jenn was an avid collector of vintage Toyota Land Cruisers, even naming one of their cats “Teq” meaning Toyota.

Jenn will be truly missed by all who loved them and those whose lives they deeply impacted. For those fortunate enough to know and love Jenn, they are without a doubt a better person for having had Jenn in their life.

Jennifer was preceded in death by their father Johnny Lee Hall, their beloved mother Marsha Conboy, and beloved brother James.

Jennifer is survived by their spouse Cyndi Wiley, brother Jeff Hall (Khury), sister Jill Mallory, sister Joy Bostwick, many nieces and nephews, and close friends who became family.

Public services will be held early summer in St. Louis, Missouri, on the rugby pitches in Forest Park. In memoriam, donations can be made to The Trevor Project, with a mission to end suicide among LGBTQ young people. Online condolences may be left at Hamilton’s Funeral Home.

Print