Edward George Hills

Edward George Hills passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 23, 2015, with his family at his side. He was born on the family farm on March 5, 1932 to Frank and E. Gertrude (Gillespie) Hills. Ed attended grades K-8 at Sheldon School, a one-room schoolhouse in Geneva Township that he would eventually come to own. He graduated from Bangor High School, Class of 1950. He then attended and graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in Agriculture. He married Kathleen Rose Vincent on June 19, 1954 in Lacota, Michigan. Together they made their home on his farm just down the road from where he was born, and raised three children.

Ed was a lifelong farmer, raising chickens and hogs, and also producing corn, cauliflower, raspberries, apples and pears. He eventually came to own 40 acres of blueberries, being a second-generation blueberry farmer, and he and Kathleen were long-term members of the Michigan Blueberry Growers Association.

Over the years he and Kathleen enjoyed traveling all over the United States, including to Hawaii and Alaska. The also traveled to Norway and Sweden. Once he and Kathleen retired, they traveled every winter to campgrounds in central Florida, eventually maintaining a more permanent winter residence in Mt. Dora, Florida.

He was a member, and former board member, of the Michigan Flywheeler’s Museum, and had collected and restored several cherished antique tractors and equipment. His most prized possession became a red 1949 F-1 Series pickup truck that he rebuilt and restored.

While at home, he kept himself busy with constructing two log cabins entirely by hand. He built these from mature pine trees that he had helped his dad plant decades ago. He cut the logs, peeled them by hand, notched and placed the logs himself. One of these cabins is located on his property and the other was donated to and is located at the Michigan Flywheeler’s Museum. In recent years, Ed got a portable sawmill and spent many happy hours making the boards he used to construct the building to house it in, as well as for lumber for other family buildings.

In the past couple of years, Ed often enjoyed eating breakfast and lunch at Stokes Homestead Farm Market restaurant and especially enjoyed the “Cactus Chili”.

Edward was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Roger Hills. Surviving are his wife, Kathleen Vincent Hills, brother Larry (Laura) Hills, children: Cinda (Mark) Haney, Michael (Hope) Hills, and Mark (Irene) Hills; grandchildren Bruce (Dawn) Haney, Korrie (Kris) Perkins, Mark (Katy) Hills, and Michelle Hills; great grandchildren Haydn Perkins and Owen and Vivian Hills.

Visitation will be held from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM on Tuesday, December 29, 2015 at the Simpson United Methodist Church in Bangor. Memorial services will follow visitation at 11:00 AM at the church with Pastor Thom Davenport officiating. A luncheon will be held following services at the church.          Edward will be laid to rest at Chambers Cemetery beside his parents in Geneva Township. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Edward’s memory to the Simpson United Methodist Church, 507 Joy Street, Bangor, Michigan 49013 or the Michigan Flywheelers, 64958 M-43 Hwy., Bangor, MI 49013.