Dover - Sister Eleanor Hill, loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, auntie and sister went home to be with the Lord after an extended illness on Wednesday, May 29, 2019, at her home, 966 Boggs Drive, Dover, Delaware. She was born April 14, 1936, in Jacksonville, N.C., the daughter of the late Eddie Henderson and Margaret Spencer. She was the eldest of three children.
She attended public schools in Jacksonville, N.C. She met and married James Hill, Sr. on July 9, 1955. She is the mother of eight children, four foster children, twenty grandchildren, and twenty-four great-grandchildren.
She partnered with her husband who was called into pastoral ministry. Together, they labored in the vineyard in New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware Annual Conferences of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, shepherding eight congregations. She was the Wilmington District Young People's Dept. (YPD) Director along with being the First Lady of Emmanuel A.M..E Church, of which her husband was the founder.
After her husband was elevated to the office of Presiding Elder of the Dover District in the Delaware Annual Conference, Sister Hill became the Dover District Consultant where she continued her work with the Women's Missionary Society (WMS) until illness prevented her.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Presiding Elder Rev. Dr. James Hill Sr.; Eugene Hill (son); Wilson Gibson (foster son); Isabel Bradley (sister); and Norman Arnold (brother).
Left to cherish her memory seven children, Rev. Deborah Coulter (Donald) of Albany, Ga., Loretta Baker of Cumming, Ga., Rev. James Hill, Jr. (Marvia) of Dover, Donald Hill of Dover, Rosalyn Thompson (Louis) of Dover, William Hill (Colleen) of Hauppauge, N.Y., Tonia Saunders (LaSpencer Sr.) of Dover; two foster sons, Emmanuel Bratten of Pittsburgh, Pa. and Roger Griffin of Utah; an abundance of grandchildren, great grandchildren; three sisters-in-law, and a host of nephews, nieces, other relatives and friends whom loved her very much and will miss her dearly.
Initial visitation will be held on Monday, June 10, 2019 from 6pm-9pm at Dickerson Chapel AME Church, 28845 DuPont Blvd, Millsboro, DE 19966.
Celebration of Life Service will be held on Tuesday, June 11, 2019 at 12pm at the above address with visitation two hours prior to the service. Letters of condolence may be sent to the Hill Family at 102 Meetinghouse Ln., Dover, DE 19904 or to dickersonchapelamechurch@gmail.com Services entrusted to Bennie Smith Funeral Home, Dover.