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Arlene E. Hill

ROCK – Arlene E. Hill, 84, of Rock, died Friday, August 5, 2016, at 4 a.m. at U.P. Health Systems-Marquette, following a brief illness.

She was born on June 20, 1932, in Escanaba to the late Glen and Viola (Abbe) Goin. Arlene graduated from Trenary High School in 1951.

In 1953, Arlene took the money she had saved from selling eggs at her farm to travel to Biloxi, Mississippi, to marry Donald Hill at the Keesler Air Force Base on July 3, 1953.

Starting as an Air Force family, Arlene and Don were transferred to Fairchild AFB in Spokane, Washington, Bentwaters / Woodbridge RAF in England, Scott AFB in Mascoutah, Illinois, and Travis AFB in Fairfield, California, having a new child at each base.

After being discharged from the Air Force, the family moved back to the Upper Peninsula where Arlene gave birth to their three Yooper babies in Hancock.

Arlene was a hard working stay-at-home mom. She made clothes for the girls while they were young, took long family drives, picnics and always had a family meal ready at night.

While in Hancock, Arlene also worked as a clerk at Coast to Coast and Spurgeon Department Store. After nearly thirty years in Hancock, Don and Arlene moved to Bloomington, Minnesota, where they managed the Park Shore Apartment complex.

In 1993, they moved to Rock and Don started farming hay again at the Hill Family Farm and Arlene took on the role of straw boss. She always made sure everyone was hydrated, fed, and once in a while, would even drive the wagon.

On top of her jobs at the farm, Arlene also worked at the Rock Mall and the Holiday Gas Station in Escanaba, alongside her daughters and granddaughters.

She enjoyed making puzzles, knitting “scrubbies” for everyone, traveling, celebrating her 29th birthday (she had fifty-five of them) and playing with her cats. Always vowing never to get another cat, but then came Tiffany, Snot Box and Kiisa.

Arlene was a member of the United Methodist Church in Trenary, where she helped as a treasurer, made her famous baked beans for luncheons and sang with the choir for a very short time.

The love Arlene and Don had for each other was easy to be seen by all, especially when they would dance, floating across the dance floor as one.

Arlene is survived by her husband of sixty-three years, Don Hill of Rock; children, Lorraine (Bob) Berg of Deerton, Annie Hill of Green Bay, Valerie (Frank) Dlabik of Trenary, Alan (Tina) Hill of Plymouth, Minnesota, Douglas (Debie) Hill of Trenary, Janet (Steve) Royer of Trenary and John (Jacinda) Hill of Austin, Texas; 21 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, June Goin; and numerous nieces and nephews, many to whom she became mother to over the years.

She was preceded in death by her parents; siblings, Robert (Katie) Goin, Virginia “Gin” (Joe) Brant, Fredrick Goin, Zeta (Bill) Shepley, Glen (Alice) Goin Jr., Irene (Harry Manier, Jack Eleby); and infant siblings, Amber and Vernon.

A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, August 9, 2016, at the United Methodist Church in Trenary at 11 a.m. There will be visiting time from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. before the service and at the luncheon at church following the service.

Arlene’s obituary and guestbook may be viewed and signed at bowermanfuneralhome.net

Arlene E. Hill

ROCK Arlene E. Hill, 84, of Rock, died Friday, August 5, 2016 at 4:00 a.m. at

U.P. Health Systems Marquette following a brief illness. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, August 9, 2016 at the United Methodist Church in Trenary at 11:00 a.m. A luncheon and time of visiting with family and friends will take place at the church following the service. Arlene’s completed obituary will be in a later edition of the paper and may be found at bowermanfuneralhome.net.