ST. JOSEPH — Clara Ann Louise (Roessler) Hill, 87, of St. Joseph went home to be with the Lord on Monday (Nov. 5, 2018).
The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 10. Visitation will be from 9 to11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 10. Both the service and visitation will be held at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, St. Joseph. Freese Funeral Home, St. Joseph, will be in charge of arrangements.
Clara Ann was born May 15, 1931, to Sophia and Carl Roessler. She was the youngest of seven children. She graduated from Rantoul High School in 1949. She went to Chicago and earned her pediatric nursing degree from Augustana. After receiving her license, she stayed in Chicago to work for families taking care of their newborn children. She worked in Chicago for several years and returned to the Champaign-Urbana area when she learned her older brother, Walter, had been taken prisoner during the Korean War. Then, she started working as an LPN at the Outlook Tuberculosis Sanitarium in Urbana.
Through some mutual friends, Clara Ann met a handsome young man named George Hill. They started dating and eventually married on Sept. 20, 1953, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Gifford. In 1957, the couple built a home in St. Joseph. Clara Ann and George had two children, Terry Hill and Laura Mae Hill. Clara Ann continued to work nights as an LPN at Greenbriar Nursing Home. Unfortunately, their daughter, Laura, had some health problems as a young child. So, Clara Ann quit her nursing job and started a day care business in her home. She loved and took care of many children over the years. One very special child she took care of was her own grandchild, Jared Hill. She continued taking care of children until she was in her 80s.
Church was a very important part of Clara Ann’s life. She and her husband attended Prince of Peace Lutheran Church from its inception to the present. Clara Ann served the church in many ways, including participating in the church choir and maintaining the church’s sanctuary.
Clara Ann loved taking care of her husband, family and friends. She enjoyed providing people with home-canned peaches, green beans and homemade jelly (both strawberry and black raspberry). She made special sour cream date cookies for her children, grandchildren and friends for Christmas. She enjoyed spoiling her grandchildren, Jared, Alex and Michelle. As part of her family and friend circle, one could always count on Clara Ann to send cards for birthdays and special holidays.
Early in the marriage, Clara Ann once surprised her husband, George, with a new 1956 Harley-Davidson motorcycle for his birthday.
Survivors include her husband of 65 years, George; children, Terry (special friend Kim Blair) and Laura (Paul) Woodard; grandchildren, Jared Hill and Alex (aka Matthew) and Michelle Woodard. She has numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, four brothers, two sisters, one nephew and one niece.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital or Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in St. Joseph.
“Until we meet again, rest in peace, Mom. We love you, and we miss you. We know that you are in heaven with the Lord.“
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