Merdice Mercedes" Matilda" Reid Hill

Merdice "Mercedes" Matilda Reid Hill, 90, of Farmington, passed from this life Monday, Sept. 6, 2010, in Farmington, after a long battle with Parkinson's. She was born Jan. 26, 1920, in Hammond, San Juan County, to Arthur Reid and Annie Matilda McDaniel Reid. The family moved to Kirtland when she was a young child, and she was raised to adulthood in Kirtland. Mercedes was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Doyle Eugene Hill; a son, Terry Gene; granddaughter, Terri Lynn Sherrill Williams; grandson, James Kirk Boespflug; son-in-law James Boespflug, seven sisters and two brothers. She is survived by one sister, Rita Reid Jamison; sister-in-law Evelyn B. Reid; one son, Leonard Joseph; two daughters, Sheila Gaye Boespflug and Michelle Hill-Jack; grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Mercedes was an active member of the the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She has a strong testimony of faith, prayer and trust in her Savior Jesus Christ. She loved the truth within the Book of Mormon. It gave her strength during the challenges in her life. She served in the Primary, Young Women's Program and Relief Society. She enjoyed serving, loving and working beside youth and adults alike. Mercedes owned Kentucky Fried Chicken in Shiprock. She thoroughly enjoyed working with and enjoying the company of the staff. Each was respected as a coworker and not as a subordinate. With great respect she learned and appreciated many of the Navajo customs. She was respected and loved by the Navajo people. She will miss all of her friends throughout the area. Mercedes loved her children and grandchildren dearly. Her philosophy in life was that each person should love and honor their parents and their Heavenly Father so that their own days will be long upon the earth. She taught her children to let their conscience be their guide so that positive consequences would be the results. She would always give it to us straight. It always followed with, "Now get up and clean it up because no one else could or should do it for you." She live to paint, sew, make cream puffs, can peaches and make ceramics, and she sang with the voice of an angel. There just wasn't anything that she wouldn't try in the world of art. She loved to perform. She was a member of "Kirtland Players," a drama group. She sang her first solo at the age of 6, standing on an apple box in the Foutz Orchard where her home stands now. She was in her first opera in high school. Visitation will be from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 9, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Chapel, 479 County Road 6100, in Kirtland. Services to celebrate her life will follow at 11 a.m. in the same building, with Bishop Fred Huffman officiating. Interment will follow at the Kirtland-Fruitland Cemetery. Pallbearers are Bradley Hill, Kennith Boespflug, Sean Hill, Jeff Hill, Scott Hill, Jeremiah Franco, Bob Daniels and Ken Caldwell. Honorary pallbearers are grandsons, Justin Williams, Ayden Hill, granddaughter Danielle Brown, all caregivers that cared for her, nephews, great-nephews and all employees, past and present, of Kentucky Fried Chicken and Hill Enterprises. Brewer, Lee & Larkin Funeral Home 103 E. Ute St. Farmington, NM 87401 (505) 325-8688