James "Jim" Joseph Hill, 1925-2006

HILL, KRAMER, POPADIUK, VANDERWOUDE, WILEY, GRANCE, LESAVOY, WILSON, JANSEN, CHAPMAN, KLINE

Posted By: cheryl moonen (email)
Date: 2/23/2015 at 17:34:32

FARLEY, Iowa - James "Jim" Joseph Hill, 80, of Catlett, Va., formerly of Farley, died suddenly on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2006, in Catlett.

Services will be at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Farley, where he was baptized nearly 81 years ago, with the Rev. Dennis Cain officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery, where military rites will be accorded by the Marine Corps League. Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. today at Reiff Funeral Home, Farley, where there will be a wake service at 7 p.m.

He was born on Oct. 4, 1925, in Farley, son of Louis and Hilda (Kramer) Hill. His father passed away when James was only four years old. His widowed mother was remarried to Bernard Chapman, who raised Jim.

He married Jeanne Sanner Popadiuk. He later married Mary Vanderwoude on April 18, 1987, in Biloxi, Miss.

He was a very loving father. He was a man who loved the earth and sea, where he spent much of his life working. He was passionate about his farm, his animals and farmers' rights.

Early in his life, he joined the Marines and served our country proudly during World War II, having fought at Iwo Jima. He was attached to the 1st Amphibian Tractor Battalion. After an honorable discharge, he became a U.S. Merchant Marine, serving months at a time out on the open seas.

After leaving Farley, he spent much of the first half of his life in California, before moving to Virginia, where he resided for the past 20 years. It was his wish to return to his hometown of Farley for his final resting place.

As a husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle, he will be missed.

Surviving are his wife of nearly 20 years, Mary Hill, of Catlett; eight children, Mary (Frank) Wiley, of Altoona, Pa., Dr. Michael (Linda) Hill and Mark Hill, both of Tiburon, Calif., Malcolm Hill, of Thousand Oaks, Calif., Mallory Hill, of Piedmont, Calif., Mitchell (Cherie) Hill, of Bellevue, Wash., Melinda Grance, of El Toro, Calif., and Matthew (Erin) Hill, of Franklin, Tenn.; four stepchildren, Susan Lesavoy, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Nandine Wilson, of Newport News, Va., and Harmon Vanderwoude and Matt Vanderwoude, both of Catlett; 24 grandchildren and seven stepgrandchildren; a sister, LouAnn (Hill) Jansen, of Sherrill; as well as nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his stepfather, Bernard Chapman; two sisters, Imogene (Tim) Kline and Elaine Hill; and a brother, Jack Hill.

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