Helen Harris Hill, age 100, of Indiana, died on Thursday, March 29, 2018, at Windy Hill Village of Philipsburg, PA.
She was born in 1918 in Burgettstown, PA to George and Mary (Harris) Harris.
Helen grew up on a farm in Burgettstown, PA, with her parents and five brothers. She sat in front of Ralph Hill in school where he would write their initials on her back with the eraser of his pencil and learned to dance with Ralph in the gymnasium during school lunch break. She attended Indiana Normal School (now IUP), completed her teaching certification, and taught three grades of students in a one room school house in Primrose, PA. She and Ralph were married on April 8, 1942 and honeymooned in New York City. Helen lived with her parents while Ralph served in the US Army in Europe during WWII. Following the war, she lived in Pittsburgh, PA, Richmond, VA, and Shadowood Village since 1959 where Ralph served as a controller of Robertshaw Controls Company and spent three summers in Long Beach, California with Ralph and four children. She and Ralph traveled to Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, and made yearly trips to Wyoming, Montana and Wildwood, NJ with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
Helen was a member of St. Bernard of Clairvaux Roman Catholic Church, Indiana.
She was very active and belonged to many organizations including St. Bernard’s and Newman Center choirs, president of Shadowood Women’s Organization, bowling league, Shadowood Women’s Walking Group.
She is survived by the following children – Judith E. Carloni of Johnstown, PA; Ralph Edwin Hill (Marilyn Mueller) of Altoona, PA;, George Nelson Hill and wife Janet L. Hill of Indiana, PA; Mary Ellen Hill Yonushonis and husband Jim of Philipsburg, PA; grandchildren – Louis Carloni and wife Karen of Baltimore, MD., Elizabeth Hill of Hollidaysburg, PA., Amanda Lockwood of Johnstown, PA., Jenna Borstnar of Johnstown, PA., Jeffrey Hill and wife Christina of State College, PA., Greg Hill and wife Annah of Indiana, PA., Joseph Hill (Megan Smicklo) of Indiana, Pa., James Yonushonis and wife Meredith of Kennesaw, GA, Melanie Yonushonis Smith and husband Christopher of State College, PA., Megan Yonushonis of Falls Church, VA; great grandchildren – Ashlyn and Abriana Campagna, Victoria and Joseph Carloni, Michaela Borstnar, Christopher, Michael, Anthony and Jonathan Hill, Jeanice, Leannah, and Brooke Hill, Clare, James David, Mary Kate, and Adeline Yonushonis and Trinity and Damian Smith who she nicknamed “Little Buster.”
Helen was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Ralph C. Hill (September 6, 2006), brothers John, George, Michael, Amos, and Edward Harris, grandson John Edwin Carloni, and great grandson Allizaire Michael Lockwood.
Friends will be received on Sunday, April 1, from 2-5 p.m. at the Bowser-Minich Funeral Home, Indiana. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday, April 2, at 10 a.m. at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Roman Catholic Church, Indiana, PA. Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Bernard of Clairvaux Roman Catholic Church, 200 Clairvaux Drive, Indiana, PA or Indiana Regional Medical Center, 835 Hospital Road, Indiana, PA 15701.
