Obituary: Mabel Lewis Hill
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Mabel Lewis Hill was born July 28, 1923, in rural Saline County to the late Ralph H. Lewis and Ida Martin Lewis. She resided on Hill Lane in Johnson County and was the widow of George Barnet (G.B.) Hill, whom she married Feb. 17, 1940, and who preceded her in death on Jan. 3, 2008.
Mabel joined the Old Stonefort Seventh Day Baptist Church in 1934 and also faithfully attended the United Methodist Church in Stonefort and Carrier Mills with her family from 1947 until her death. She was a member and supporter of the United Methodist Women.
She is survived by her children, Nan (Joe) Tanner, Eddie (Jennie) Hill, Danny (Sharon) Hill, Elaine (Clifford) Keely, Janice (Steve) McCormick and John S.Hill. She is also survived by a daughter-in-law, Sherrie Hill; 21 grandchildren; many great-grandchildren; a brother, Arthur Lewis of Vienna; three sisters-in-law, Coleen Lewis of Vienna, Roma Hill of Stonefort and Betty Yarber of Carrier Mills; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ralph and Ida Lewis; a stepmother, Edith Lewis; a son, J.B. Hill; two brothers, Howell and Ralph Leman Lewis; two stepbrothers, Robert and Frank Cobb; and four sisters, Jean King, Kathryn McSparin, Alice Roe and Ethel Pauline Lewis.
Mabel experienced many jobs in Southern Illinois besides that of wife and mother of
seven. Her number one priority was being the wife of G.B. Hill, but she also worked in a cream station at Stonefort, Universal Match in the Ordill area, a dress factory at Herrin, a cap factory at Harrisburg and was the first staff hired at A.L. Bowen Children's Center at Harrisburg, working there until it closed.
She was an avid reader and story teller (the source of all our family history stories from both sides of the family). She liked to sing, quilt, share old recipes and songs and discuss Bible interpretations. Aside from her immediate family, her two loves were anything to do with the Lewis's or Old Stonefort Seventh Day Baptist Church. She spent her life in the supporting role of listening to each member of the family and doing whatever was needed to help each one to achieve the immediate goal whether physical, spiritual, professional, or personal. She made all our plans seem possible. She has been the magnet that holds our family together in all circumstances. We thank God for her loving care and the legacy of her life.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2011, at Absher-Nicholson Funeral Home in Carrier Mills. The Rev. Keith McDannel and the Rev. Stan Irvin will officiate with burial in Joyner Cemetery at Stonefort. Friends may call at the funeral home from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 18, 2011. Memorials are suggested in lieu of flowers and may be made to the United Methodist Women in Carrier Mills or the Old Stonefort Seventh Day Baptist Church.
Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.