In Her Own Words, A Reflection on the Life of

Helen W. Hill

I was born on August 2, 1925, in Akron, OH to Frank H. Smith and Mamie E. Smith (Carroll). Having lived all my life in Akron, I was baptized by Rev. James Black at the Methodist Church on N. High Street in 1926. When the new Methodist Church, newly named Wesley Temple was finished, members walked up Perkins Street hill to the new building. I walked with my mother, who was pregnant with my sister Evelyn, as mom pushed my brother Kenneth in a baby buggy. Sadly, Kenneth passed away from illness later that year. Expanding the family, dad and mom had three more children; Alice (known as Poppy), Frank Jr. and Mary Kate.

As kids, we played on a sand hill in the neighborhood. Sometimes, we would put on our bathing suits and pretend that we were at the beach. Every Sunday, I helped dress the kids and mom sent us to church.  We children had to attend the nearest church, so we walked to a church on North Street that was in a building at the railroad tracks, to Rev. McClelland’s church further down West North Street and to Mount Zion when it was on Lods Street.  Being the oldest of five children, I was responsible for my brother and sister’s safety wherever we walked. One Sunday on the way to Sunday School, we ran across the trestle tracks on North Street when a train was coming.  We pushed Mary Kate in a baby buggy to Wesley Temple, up Howard Street to Ridge Street to Furnace Street to Summit Street to Perkins Street. I joined Wesley Temple at 12 years old and was in Mrs. Sturgis’ Senior Girls Class. I was a Sunday School teacher as a teenager to younger children if needed. When I got older, I became a Home Mission Worker and a Class Leader. (Note – Helen became a Class Leader for her Step-father Jefferson when he became ill and collected money from church members in his class.)

I grew up during the Depression and one of the places where we lived was on Albert Court in North Akron. My mother would send me pulling a wagon to the Knights of Columbus building where I received milk in a container, bread, or whatever was being handed out and took it back home. We used those items with whatever mom had on hand to feed us. Friends and neighbors also helped to feed us. The bakery was near our house and we ate day old bread that did not cost too much. Our neighbors at the time were the Harris family, Aunt Kate and Uncle Arthur, the Campbell family, a number man Clarence Collins, Dr. Lyons, the Bessie Jones family (Mildred & Wendel), Rev. Brown and some white families. The Mount Peace Cemetery was close by. We also lived on Valley Street in a corner house where I remember being quarantined with Whooping Cough. At that time, the Health Department required that a card be shown that the disease was at the house and it was contagious. A card for Measles had to be put up also.

After that, our family moved to 330 N. Howard Street, a two-family brick house with ten rooms. When dad became ill and was hospitalized, mom rented out three of the rooms in the house to different families. The Murphy family lived upstairs, and I became good friends with Josephine Murphy. After they moved out of the house, we children moved to the second floor and slept in two of the rooms. My mother rented rooms out to Mr. & Mrs. Liggens, Miss Nellie, Miss Louise, Mr. & Mrs. Ben Green, and others. The house sat on a large lot of land and we had flower and vegetable gardens and raised chickens. I was taught how to cook, cut grass, wash clothes, iron, scrub and clean the house. I also had to shop for the family. Since we lived on Howard Street, I would walk to the many stores not too far away from home. After my father passed away, mom married Jefferson Loftin and the family grew to include six more children; Leonard, Saundra, Jeanine, Jefferson LeRoy, Ima and Dale making it a total of eleven siblings!

We attended Bryan Elementary School for a while. Evelyn and I had to walk to Bowen School because we were under-weight and we were in the Open Air classes, which were on the top floor of the building. We ate breakfast, lunch and an afternoon meal each day during the third and fourth grade. Then we went back to Bryan School.

As I grew up, Evelyn, Alice and I sang and tap danced in talent shows in the surrounding area as the Smith Sisters. The years of grade school where an important part of our lives. That’s where I met him, Oscar Hill Jr., in the fifth grade at Bryan School. I’d wait for him to walk past the house on his way home from school. Oscar lived around the corner with his family on Glenwood Avenue. The short-cut to Glenwood was a way to say goodnight or bye. We walked to the Gym for the games and walked to North Street by the field to Susie Grundy’s house and back home, through the field and up Lods Street to Howard Street to Charles Street to home then to the corner of Glenwood and Howard Street. We dated through Bryan, Jennings Junior High and North High Schools.

I graduated from North High School in June 1944. I married Oscar at his father’s church, Hill’s Temple First Born Church of God on April 28, 1945. The church was right across the Street from my house on Howard Street. We were married by Rev. James Foote who was the pastor of Wesley Temple. When Oscar and I married, we had religious differences. It did not matter to Oscar; he joined Wesley Temple and became a Boy Scout Leader with Madison Atchison and Barnest Trevillion on the committee.

Oscar and I were parents to six children; Oscar III, Beverly, Kathleen, Kenneth, Keith, and Luana. Our children attended Akron Public Schools from kindergarten thru high school. They became adults and their lives went different directions. Oscar III married Vivian Williams and he also served in the Army during the Vietnam conflict which was a scary time for his father and I. They became parents to Monika and Jason Hill. Beverly worked and became a mother to Damon Hill. Damon came to live with Oscar and me. Beverly later married and had Wanneese Beckley, who also came to live with us after Beverly passed away. Kathleen worked, got married and had Kenneth Jay Porter. Kenneth served in the Army and later had sons Aaron Calhoun, Victor Lewis and Kenneth Hill. Kenneth lived with us after his dad passed away. Keith became a mechanic and had a son Christopher Hill. Luana worked, got married and had daughter Janay and son Christian. Oscar and I truly loved our children and grandchildren. We helped raise three grandchildren and they became responsible adults.

Oscar and I had been married for sixty years when Oscar passed away in 2005. Oscar was not only my best friend but was my soul mate. We enjoyed driving with one of our dogs in tow and spent many winters in Waycross, Georgia, Oscar’s hometown.  We took fishing trips to Rice Lake in Canada, visited Kathleen and Robert in Las Vegas, tended to our garden and were blessed to have family and friends around us all the time.

EPILOGUE – Helen passed away on March 17, 2019.  During her illness, we had a Village of family and friends who came to her apartment daily and weekly to help take care of her. Oscar and Luana put together a care schedule on a large calendar which included her doctor’s appointments. The Village consisted of Roy Loftin, Saundra Beckley, Mary Cain, Kenneth Hill, Janay Johnson, Christian Johnson and girlfriend Jazmine Martinez, Kenneth Porter, Mario & Wanneese Brown and of course Oscar, Kathleen & Robert and Luana. Zipporah Smith came in almost every morning to bathe her, cook for her and take care of the apartment. Even great-grandchildren Kamari and Kendel Porter helped afterschool when they could.

Also a part of the Village is Carol Atchison, Norma Davis and Barbara Crooks who made sure that Helen had a ride to church on Sundays before her illness. And she had many visitors who prayed, bought food and gave the family comfort during her stay at Hospice. Thank you Village, we couldn’t have done it without you.

She and Oscar were blessed with six children, three who had gone before her; Beverly Beckley, Keith (Ke-Michael) and Kenneth Hill. Remaining are Oscar (Vivian) Hill III, Kathleen (Robert) Greene of Columbus, OH, and Luana Johnson; 14 Grandchildren, three who have gone on before her; Damon Hill, Christopher Hill and an infant baby girl; nine grandchildren who survive her, Monika (Troy) Gooden, Jason Hill, Kenneth Porter, Wanneese (Mario) Brown, Aaron (Kourtney) Calhoun, Victor Lewis, Kenneth Hill, Evan and Brent Lett, Janay and Christian Johnson; 14 Great-grandchildren and 5 Great Great-grandchildren.

Helen was the oldest of 12 children. Brother Kenneth Smith and sisters Evelyn Atchison, Alice Wheeler-Mixon and Ima Loftin have gone on before her. Brothers and sisters who survive her; Frank (Shirley) Smith Sr., Mary Cain, Leonard Loftin Sr., Saundra Beckley, Jefferson (Roy) Loftin, Jeanine Loftin (Rodney Watson) and Dale Loftin; and Goddaughter Aven Lyons. Also cherishing her memory are lifelong friends Mozella Trevillion and Rev. Loretta Sanders; brother-in-law Thomas (Lucinda) Hill and sisters-in-law Ida Hill of Hampton, VA and Donna June Hill; nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Being of a quiet disposition and gaining respect, she was a friend to many. She was not much of a talker but loved being around people. Helen was the solid type but had a strong will and a huge heart! She enjoyed traveling, fishing, gardening, reading poetry, attending Wesley Temple faithfully every Sunday, playing games on Monday nights with Carol & Ruth and bible study every Wednesday at the Village of New Seasons, family picnics, family gatherings at Roy’s house, and spending time with friends. She will always be remembered as a loving, considerate, kind and gentle sister, a sweet and caring grandmother to many, and a silent but strong mother.

~ A beautiful celebration of a life well lived ~