Frances Hill

Frances Harper Hill, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother, 91, of Hillsboro passed away Sunday, February 17, 2013, at Town Hall Estates Nursing Home in Hillsboro. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 20, at Marshall & Marshall Funeral Directors Chapel in Hillsboro with Dr. Keith Manning officiating. Burial will follow at Ridge Park Cemetery in Hillsboro. Visitation will be from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 19, at the funeral home.

Born November 18, 1921 in Hillsboro, Frances was the last living child of five sons and two daughters born to Joe Colly and Altie (Pierce) Harper. In 1939 she graduated from Hillsboro High School and from Hillsboro Junior College in 1941. She accumulated an additional year of college credits with the University of Maryland while in France and with Austin Peay College while at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

On January 2, 1943, Frances married Ben Hill at Munger Methodist Church in Dallas. During her husband’s military service in Europe during World War II and in Korea during the Korean Conflict , she remained in Hillsboro. She lived in Springfield, Virginia while he was in Vietnam and during his two tours at the Pentagon and one tour at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Frances accompanied Ben during his two tours in Japan and one in France. Following her husband’s retirement from the Army in 1972, they settled in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia where they owned and operated a small commercial orchard for 26 years.

In March 1999, the couple returned to Hillsboro. At that time, she opened her own small business, “Hillcrafts,” where she made and sold pillows, crib quilts, christening dresses, and dolls to locals and to the tourist trade from Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland. An exceptionally talented quilter, Fran entered one of her quilts in the annual Dolly Madison Quilt Show in Alexandria, Virginia and received an Honorable Mention on it.

Fran was an active member of Central Baptist Church in Hillsboro. A devout Baptist, she served the Lord, her family, and her church all the days of her life. She will be sorely missed.

Preceding her in death were her parents; husband, Ben, on March 22, 2005; son, Joe Harper Hill; five brothers; and one sister.

Survivors include her daughter, Sue Ponde and husband, Erich, of Hillsboro; brother-in-law, Walter Hill and wife, Wilma, of Waco; two granddaughters, Carole Neal and husband, Jackie, of Hillsboro and Noelle Hackert and husband, Chris, of San Antonio; five great-grandchildren; and four great-great grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Central Baptist Church, P. O. Box 263, Hillsboro, TX 76645 or Hill County Paw Pals, P. O. Box 1533, Hillsboro, TX 76645.

Visitation

Tuesday February 19, 2013 , 6:00 - 8:00 P.M. at Marshall & Marshall Funeral Directors in Hillbsoro

Funeral Service

Wednesday February 20, 2013 , 2:00 P.M. at Marshall & Marshall Funeral Directors in Hillbsoro

Burial

Wednesday February 20, 2013 at Ridge Park Cemetery