Margaret C. Hillis

Margaret C. Hillis died on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Valley Eldercare in Grand Forks, ND.

She was born at home in Cavalier, ND, September 28, 1921, to Warren S. and Mary L. (Moritz) Campbell.

Margaret graduated from Cavalier High School after which she moved to California with her widowed mother and older brother. There she attended Pasadena Junior College. On returning to North Dakota, she attended Interstate Business College in Fargo, then worked at the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Services office in Cavalier.

On December 1, 1943, she married John D. “Jack” Hillis in Miami, OK, the day after he received his “Wings” from the U.S. Army Air Corps. Margaret’s favorite job was working at the Kansas City Union Station, the nation’s busiest railway terminal during World War II.

After Jack’s military discharge they moved to his family’s farm near Backoo, ND, where they lived until they built their home in Cavalier. In 2007 they moved to Valley Square in Grand Forks.

Margaret was a member of Cavalier Methodist Church where she taught Sunday School and was active in United Methodist Women. She also was a 4-H leader, and enjoyed Order of Eastern Star, Study Club, and American Legion Auxiliary. She loved cooking for friends and family. Her recipes are treasures! Golfing, gardening, quilting, and china painting were among her interests.

She was preceded in death by Jack, her husband of 64 years; her parents, daughter Joan Parrish, sister Jessie Arneson, and daughter-in-law Lonna Hillis.

Survivors include her children: Kathryn (Herb) Debban, Lenoir City, TN, Susan (Bart) Thompson, Flagstaff, AZ, John, Cavalier, ND; grandchildren: Sara Thorn and Kirk Debban; Jeanne Wiles and Ron Thompson; Lezlie Derber, Dan Parrish, Jim Parrish, and Gail Grosek; Sadie Hillis, Whitney Austfjord, and Hannah Hillis; 20 greatgrandchildren. Also surviving is her older brother, Robert W. Campbell, Apple Valley, MN.

In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred to Valley Memorial Foundation, 2900 14th Ave S. Grand Forks, ND 58201 or the Pembina County Memorial Hospital Foundation.

Funeral service will be held Wednesday, April 10, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. at the Trinity United Methodist Church, Cavalier, ND. Visitation will be held Tuesday, April 9th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service and Eastern Star service at the church.

Visitation on Tuesday, April 9th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service and Eastern Star service at the church.