Hill, Raymond J. Jr. 1925-2007

HILL, BREER, PRESTON, SUTTON, SCHAFER, DECKARD, WESTENDORF, O CONNOR

Posted By: Volunteer (email)
Date: 7/27/2007 at 17:03:13

Raymond J. Hill Jr., 82, formerly of Baxter, died Friday, June 29, 2007, at Park Centre in Newton.

Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Wallace Family Funeral Home. Visitation will be after 4 p.m. today at the funeral home with family present from 6 to 8 p.m. Burial will be at the Restland Cemetery in Baxter.

Memorials to the Airpower Museum in Blakesburg or Hospice of Jasper County may be left at the funeral home.

The son of Gladys Irene Sutton-Breer and Raymond John Hill Sr., he was born Jan. 10, 1925, in rural Ira. He was a lifelong resident of Baxter with the exception of his four years in the service. He graduated from Baxter High School in 1942 and was united in marriage to Dorothy Jean Preston on Aug. 4, 1945, in Pipestone, Minn.

He was a Master Technician and GMC Certified Technician at Getz Buick, Hawkeye Chevrolet and Maples Chevrolet for 42 years, retiring in 1987. He was a member of the Midwest Antique Airplane Club of Brodhead, Wis., numerous chapters of the Experimental Aircraft Association throughout the United States, the National Biplane Association of Bartlesville, Okla., and the Airplane Owners and Pilots Association. He was a lifetime member of the Antique Airplane Museum. He had served on the Board of Directors for the Airpower Museum in Blakesburg in the past and was also a past member of the VFW Post 1655.

He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in July of 1942, at the age of 17, in Des Moines. He served in Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan and Tinian during WW II. He ended his military career as a Marine Recruiter in Sioux Falls, S.D., in 1946.

His lifetime hobby was flight and airplanes. He and his wife, Dorothy, built a total of three airplanes and helped many other airplane enthusiasts with their projects. Their first plane, Eve, a CB-1 Hatz airplane was purchased by a doctor from Denver, Colo. They soon learned they had not lost an airplane but gained a second son. Jeff continues Ray's love of flying and passes that love on to many others.

He is survived by his wife, Dorothy, of Newton; one son, Richard I. (Connie) Hill of Baxter; two daughters, Linda R. (Dave) Schafer of Baxter and Jan J. (Chuck) Deckard of Altoona; five grandchildren, Joel D. (Rynda) Westendorf of Altoona, Skye L. Westendorf (Bob Lantry) of Newton, Chad R. (Mandy) Hill of Frazee, Minn., Stacie J. (Nick) Bunse of Newton, and Shawn O’Connor of Baxter; 10 great-grandchildren, Jessica (Jordon), Melissa, Aaryn, Danica, Jandi, Westen, Aaron, Bryce, Brianna and Nicole; and an honorary son, Jeff Cain of Denver, Colo.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a son-in-law, Ed Westendorf.

The Newton (IA) Daily News, Monday, July 02, 2007