Augusta Catherine Herman Hillier passed away Saturday, Sept. 3 in her home in Manti.
She was born March 6, 1925 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, the only child of Jacob and Gertrude Herman. She grew up in the small town of Avenel, New Jersey, surrounded by loving parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins and, where she met Wayne Hillier, her future husband.
When Wayne was drafted into the Navy during World War II, Augusta was a junior in High School. She would tell about how, for the prom, all the girls had to go with sophomores and freshmen because all the senior and junior boys were serving in the military.
At the end of the war Augusta continued her courtship with Wayne and soon after she moved out to Utah to be married. They were married April 5,1947 and later sealed in the Salt Lake City Temple in January 1952. After Wayne graduated from BYU they were discussing where they might live. Augusta said she wanted to settle right here in Provo, and they did. They bought a home, just east of the BYU campus in the Provo 13th Ward where they raised their family and lived for the next 40+ years, until Wayne died in 1993.
While there she served and held leadership callings in the Relief Society, Sunday School, and Young Women’s organizations and made many lifelong friendships. Many continued their friendship for years after she left Provo.
Augusta moved to Manti in 1994 to be near her daughter, Diane Keeler, and her family. A few years later she was joined by her other daughter, Joyce, who was her housemate and care giver right up to the end of her life.
Augusta was an avid reader and books provided her with countless hours of enjoyment. She would be found reading two or three books at a time. How she could keep track of the stories lines is still a mystery to many of us. It was because of that love for books that she served on the Manti Library board for many years. Augusta also served on the Manti Senior Citizen Board until her health got in the way.
Augusta enjoyed knitting, crocheting, sewing, needlepoint, coloring books, and cutting-out paper dolls. She even built and decorated a large doll house which she took great pride in. She often combined her hobbies with service work, donating many afghans, blankets and crocheted hats to charitable organizations. Another of her joys in life was visiting with family and friends. She loved hearing and talking about their lives and adventures.
For several years, she did extraction for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, retrieving information from old parish records to facilitate genealogical research. She did this until her eyes started to go bad.
Augusta also had a warm spot in her heart for veterans’ service and animal welfare organizations and loved feeding and caring for stray cats, hummingbirds and any bird in general. She feed, cared for and raised a baby magpie and sparrow. Her love for birds was so great that she even has a clock that for each hour sings a different bird song.
Augusta and Wayne had six children, David, Joyce, Diane, Bart, Russell, and Douglas. Her love for them was never ques- tioned.
She was preceded in death by her husband Wayne, son Russell, twin granddaughters Jennifer and Lindsay Hillier and a great-grandson Joseph Daniel Hillier. She has 12 living grand- children, 33 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
Augusta your loving, nurtur- ing nature will be sorely missed. You were so loved and respected by all who knew you. Our mortal association with you is now complete. You have left a hole in our hearts. Yoursmileandwitwillbe missed. Until we meet again. We love you.
A special thank you from Augusta and her family to the Sanpete County Intermountain Hospice team who took such good care of her in her last mo- ments. They are now part of our family, we love you all.
Graveside services were held on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 3 p.m. by Berg’s Mortuary in Provo.
