Letha Faye Hill, 99, Bethany, Mo., passed away Thursday, November 12, 2020 at a Bethany, Mo. nursing home.
She was born July 9, 1921 near Washington Center, Mo., the daughter of Dewey Edgar and Edna May (Smith) Baker. Their home was south of Muddy Valley School. Faye attended grade school at Muddy Valley School her first year until her folks moved in March 1927, six miles south of New Hampton, Mo., on the Garrison farm. Faye attended the rest of her grade school years at Victor School and graduated from the eighth grade there.
Faye’s folks moved north of New Hampton, Mo., on Highway D in March 1937. That fall Faye started school at New Hampton High School where she graduated in May 1941 as Valedictorian of her class.
Faye married Jerald Lovell “Jerry” Hill on March 9, 1943 at the home of Reverend O. D. Hedges. Faye and Jerry both graduated in 1941 from the New Hampton High School. After their marriage, Faye joined Jerry in New York state at Far Rockway Beach in April 1943 where she spent six months until returning home to wait the arrival of their first daughter. Janet Louise was stillborn on March 8, 1944. Faye remained at the home of her parents while Jerry was overseas.
Faye went to Los Angeles, Calif. in April 1945 to meet Jerry when he landed from overseas. They remained there until Jerry was discharged on October 4, 1945 then returned to New Hampton, Mo. They farmed in the White Oak neighborhood from February 1946 to March 1950. Their second daughter, Audrey Kay, was born March 2, 1946. They moved to the New Castle neighborhood in 1950 where their son, Jerald Ray “Jerry” was born on January 22, 1951. In March 1952, they moved to the Johnson farm near Martinsville, Mo. It was there that Audra Kay passed away of Leukemia on October 23, 1952. In March 1956, Faye and Jerry moved to the Claud Crabtree farm northwest of New Hampton, Mo., while living there their third daughter, Teresa May, was born on January 15, 1957. They moved again in March 1961 to the Oscar Magee farm south of New Hampton, Mo. In March of 1962, Faye and Jerry bought a home from Willie Rowlett on Highway 136 where they lived for 18 years. While living there Faye did house cleaning and hanging wallpaper for other people. Then on March 1, 1969, Faye started working part-time as a postal clerk at New Hampton Post Office. After the death of Postmaster, Jim Magee, Faye was appointed as Postmaster at New Hampton Post office from April 9, 1977 until she retired on September 24, 1981.
After Faye’s husband’s, “Jerry”, death on November 4, 1990, Faye lived in New Hampton until January 1993. She then bought Mrs. Burton’s home in west Bethany on 508 South Street to be near her son, Jerry Ray Hill and family.
Faye was a member of the New Hampton United Methodist Church. She was also a member of the B-Natural Club and Round Table Club in New Hampton, Mo.
She was also preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Ray Baker.
Survivors include her son, Jerry (Judy) Hill and daughter, Teresa Hill both of Bethany, Mo.; grandchildren, Eric (Kim) Klingensmith, Angela Thogmartin; Bryan (Cheri) Foster, Julie Giacometti and Kristyn Krueger; 12 great grandchildren; four great-great grandchildren; sister, Fern Douthat, Independence, Mo., and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, November 19 at Roberson Funeral Home, Bethany, Mo. Burial will follow in the Foster Cemetery, New Hampton, Mo. The family will receive friends from 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home where social distancing will be observed and masks recommended. Memorials may be made to the New Hampton Methodist Church and/or Foster Cemetery in care of Roberson Funeral Home, P.O. Box 46, Bethany, Mo. 64424. Online condolences may be left at www.robersonfuneralhome.com