Hilda H Anderson Stitt

Hilda was born in Grover, Wyoming to Joseph and Emma Hepworth Anderson on the 4th of July, 1920, the 4th child in their family of five; Hazel born in 1911, Eva in 1915, Roice in 1917, Hilda in 1920 and Byron in 1925. Hilda passed peacefully away October 11, 2019 in Afton, Wyoming below the east mountains she loved so much. Hilda’s friends and cousins would gather at the Anderson home at the mouth of Grover Canyon, running the hills as they played. At chore time Hilda would sit on a one legged stool, milking cows almost as fast as her mother. After a short walk to the west, she would attend church and school in the center of town.

Following her graduation from Star Valley High School in 1939 and the University of Wyoming at Laramie in 1942, she took her first teaching job in Burlington in the heart of Wyoming’s Big Horn Basin. Hilda returned to Grover teaching elementary children in the very school that she had attended. She next taught in Cathlamet Public School in Washington then moved on to teach in Oregon with her assignments being in the Portland area until she retired in 1976 after 33 years. While teaching in Washington, Hilda was introduced to Alvin Wayne Stitt by her sister Hazel’s former mission companion, Laretta Stitt. Hilda and Alvin were married on June 14, 1950 at the Logan temple and settled down in Portland, Oregon where Alvin worked as a baker and Hilda taught elementary school.

Hilda and Alvin were never blessed with children of their own but their love and support were felt by many. Each summer they planned a vacation to Star Valley where they involved many of their nieces and nephews in camping, fishing and games. Over the years, these wonderful times were followed by taking kids, a couple at a time, to spend a few weeks hosted at the Stitt home where one and all were shown a great time. They were father, mother, grandfather and grandmother for many family members.

They served many people in addition to family. Hilda served in ward and stake positions including a calling as Primary president when she was 84 years old. Alvin served as LDS Stake and then Regional Director of Sports which took them all over the Columbia River Basin, which they loved. The service included many hours doing genealogy work. Hilda was a stake missionary and they both served as full time missionaries in the South Dakota Rapid City Mission working with the Sioux Nation. They were temple workers in the Seattle and the Portland temples. Hilda loved to travel, camp, fish, pick Huckleberries, press fresh apple cider, enjoy the beauties of nature and family with her beloved Alvin.

Alvin passed away October 1, 2007. Hilda was the last of her siblings to pass with Byron in 1969, Roice in 2004, Hazel in 2013 and Eva in 2019 just one week before Hilda. These two sisters had lived together in Grover for the last 6 years. At her request, there will be no services. Hilda will be interred at Willamette National Cemetery next to her husband Alvin who had served with the 83rd bomb squadron (The Black Angels) during WWII.