Jean Lewis Hill, 90 of Great Falls, passed away at Peace Hospice on Saturday, May 14, 2016 at 9:30 pm.  Her funeral service will be Saturday, May 21st at 11:00 AM at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church.  There will be a visitation at the church at 10:00 AM, one hour prior to the service, with entombment at Highland Cemetery immediately following the service. 

Jean was born on March 5, 1926 in Opheim, Montana to King Lewis and Bertha (Drumness) Lewis.  She attended school there, graduating in 1944.  After finishing school, Jean was called upon to fill in as a teacher in a country school there during World War II.

She then moved to Great Falls where she met and married Charles Robert Hill on Sept. 10, 1946 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church.  Charlie worked for the Anaconda Company and many wonderful years were spent on Smelter Hill raising their family there, along with so many other wonderful families.  Jean and Charlie had a family of three sons and three daughters---the Hill family from Smelter Hill!  After their oldest three children graduated from CMR, they moved to Anaconda and the youngest three graduated from Anaconda High School.  After Charlie retired they returned to Great Falls.  Charlie passed away on Feb. 5, 1990.

Jean was active in her church for many years.  She was in many clubs, including P.T.A., bridge club, sewing club, Shiboski, P.E.O. and WELCA.

Jean enjoyed baking, and friends and family members looked forward to all her delicious baked goods, especially at Christmas.  Everyone loved her wafer cookies and caramels.  The grandchildren and great-grandchildren always requested she make them monster cookies.

Spending time at her place in Swan Lake, Montana provided her with so many special memories.  In later years she loved to go there to see her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren enjoy fishing, skiing, tubing, singing around the campfire and just all being there together.

Jean always said all she wanted to do was get married and raise a family.  She is survived by six children: Sharla (Cal) Moore of White Sulphur Springs, Keith (Jan) Hill of Harlowton, Jim (Kathy) Hill of Great Falls, Patty (Dennis) Jupka of Helena, Penny (Kevin) McWilliams of Fairfield, Rob (Staci) Hill of Lake Stevens, WA; 16 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; sister, Shirley (Ron) Adams of Hardin; several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband and three sisters, Gladys Zeitner, Bess Ayres and Peg Hahn.

Every three years, the families of the five sisters have a family reunion.  Jean started the first one in 1993.  In 2014 the reunion was held at Big Sky with almost 200 family members attending.  The 2017 reunion is planned for Jackson Hole, WY and she will be missed and remembered as a very special family member.

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, but love leaves a memory that no one can steal.  

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