Laura Hill

Laura Lee Hill, 92, of Idaho Falls, passed away peacefully on Monday, October 19, 2020. She was a resident of Lincoln Court Assisted Living. 

Laura was born November 1, 1927, in Pueblo, Colorado, to Eugene Thomas and Leola Caroline (Ptomey) Van Winkle. She had two brothers and three sisters. Laura grew up in the Colorado area and attended Centennial High School in Pueblo, Colorado. She met the love of her life, Earnest Mantle Hill, and they were married on September 15, 1945 in Raton, New Mexico. Laura and Earnie soon welcomed their first child, Caroline, into their home and then 15 months later their second daughter, Marilyn, was born. 

Two years later, as they moved to Las Animas, their son, Marvin, joined the family. Laura loved being a mom to her three young children, learning to sew, knit, and make a home for their family. In 1952, after welcoming their fourth child, Phyllis, the family moved north to Idaho Falls, Idaho. They became faithful members of the First Christian Church on 12th Street, originally located on South Boulevard, and enjoyed becoming a part of the family of God. Calvin, Earnest and Laura’s fifth child, was born in Idaho Falls in 1954, but tragedy struck in 1956 when Calvin drowned in a small ditch near their family home. 

The family then moved to Boise where Laura was employed in the one and only Albertson’s Department Store. She continued to improve her sewing and dressmaking skills while she and her dear friend, Nita Disney, would go window shopping, look at dresses, then go home and make their own patterns. Laura made all her children’s clothing for many years. In 1960, Laura and Earnie moved back to Idaho Falls. She became actively involved in her church’s women’s group and Zonta, a business women’s service organization, all while managing the Idaho Falls Answering Service that she and Earnie owned. Their travels took them to Johannesburg, South Africa; Acapulco, Mexico; and Hawaii. Laura and Earnie spent several summers working with their friends in Skagway, Alaska, at a salmon spawning fishery. Their years of retirement were spent as snowbirds in Yuma, Arizona, and Desert Hot Springs, California, with both family and friends. 

In 1998, after her husband’s passing, Laura continued to work with her church serving on many committees and her church council. Her love of life and her love for her family grew stronger every year as she continued to enjoy her 12 grandchildren, 27 great grandchildren, and 9 great, great grandchildren. Laura’s strong Christian faith and her love for her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, carried her through life. She dearly loved her friends at Lincoln Court and always counted them as family. Laura’s infectious smile and amazing love of life will continue to be lived out in the lives of her children, grandchildren, and generations to come.

Laura is preceded in death by her parents, Eugene and Leola Van Winkle; her husband, Earnest; her son, Calvin Arch Hill; her daughter, Marilyn Sue DelRe; four of her five siblings, Betty Jeanne Mickel, Phyllis Freeman, Richard Van Winkle, and Lawrence Van Winkle. 

Laura is survived by her children, Caroline (Rick) Arlen of Idaho Falls; Marvin (Liz) Hill of Kaysville, Utah, and Phyllis (Robert) Kampe of Fulton, Illinois; grandchildren, Joy (Kirk) Wilkie, Jon (Tanja) Hill, Jeff (Julie) Arlen, Bethany (Kevin) Nelson, Julie Janke, Michelle Newsom, Jacob (Kristen) Kampe, Shellie (McKay) Bates, Carrie (Carlos) Duarte, Marcy Jarrell, Kelly (Nick) Blazek, Traci (Garrett) Nelson; 27 great-grandchildren, and 9 great-great-grandchildren. Laura will be dearly missed by her family.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, October 23, 2020, at Wood Funeral Home, 273 N. Ridge. The family will visit with friends from 10-10:45 a.m. prior to the service. Burial will be in Fielding Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the Idaho Falls Rescue Mission, 840 Park Avenue, Idaho Falls, ID, 83402. For more information, contact 208-552-5575 or at info@ifrescuemission.org.