Laverne Antoinette Pedersen Hill
Laverne Antoinette Pedersen Hill. born May 28, 1932, in Hopelawn, New Jersey passed away peacefully Saturday, November 25, 2023, in Austin, Texas.
Mom was quite a gal who ( as a girl) lo,•ed to go crabbing with her father, Chris along the Jersey shore. Summer was her favorite season when she’d spend endless days with friends on the Boardwalk or Haley’s on the Bav swimming and tanning until the sun gave way to the lighting of the beach fires and clam bakes. She also loved shopping and having lunch with her Mother, Julia, and sister, Connie in downtown New York City- Horn & Hardart was the newest thing – an ‘automat’ restaurant.
Mom dreamed of traveling when she got old enough and that dream definitely came true where she eloped with her boyfriend (our father), Davy Lee Hill of Peoria, Illinois. Dad was tall and thin with black, curly hair – a handsome young enlisted man in the United States Army Air Corps where he was quartered at Camp Kilmer in New Jersey. While news of their marriage was joyfully welcomed by Laverne’s mother -Julia was determined to create the wedding she had always envisioned for her daughter, so Mom and Dad were married again, this time in the church with all of the frills, flowers, and family.
During their years of military travels from state to state and country to country, Mom and Dad had four children: Connie Lee, Christian John, Cheryl Lynn, and Dawn Ann. As lifelong members of the Episcopal Church, they made sure that we attended church, were baptized, and
confirmed.
With every transfer, it always amazed the new neighbors that Mom could have our whole home completely set up and well decorated within days- ready for a party or game of bridge. To us, that was just Mom. D ad and Mom also shared their involvement with the Masons- Dad was a 32″ Degree Mason and Mom was an Eastern Star. They just stayed busy!
The blessings of the family continued with the marriages of Connie to Steve Whalen, Chris to Karen Johnson, Cheryl ( ex-Hughes) to Larry Burrier, and Dawn ( ex-Tim
Gorske) to Andrea Dube. Soon after came nine grandchildren: Stevie (Staci) Whalen. Shawn (Sophia) Whalen. Chelsea Whalen (Shawn) Miller. Justin (Paulina) Hill, Jeremy (Lindsey) Hill, Ben (Rachel) Hughes, Jim Hughes, Timmy Garske, and Sarah Gorske-Hinton- all from whom 13 great-grandchildren were born- making us a total of 30 and still counting! Mom also continued to stay dose to cousins Bud & Peggy Fuller, and sister-in-law, Betty Cathey.
After 20 years in the Air Force, Mom and Dad chose the warm Texas climate to retire. They boated, skied, fished, traveled, and continued to enjoy family and friends. They were also our ‘go-to’ babysitters.
Dad’s death on May 16, 1993, came far too soon for Mom and the rest of our family. Mom picked herself up, retired from Eanes I.S.D. in child nutrition, and continued her passion of being an avid reader and traveling with friends and family throughout the United States and numerous countries across the world. She attended operas in Germany, enjoyed the pastries of Austria, secretly picked flowers from the Queen’s garden in Scotland, and went camel trekking in Aman, Jordan among many other things. She also managed to keep our family close at hand for every holiday and birthday, which (with our large family) became events in themselves.
In June of 2012, the breath was knocked out of us all when we lost our sweet Timmy Gorske. But, Mom rallied the family together once again, lifted our chins, wiped our tears, and filled the spare bedrooms until we were ready to get back into the game of life.
We’re sure that Mom has her new home in heaven well-organized and decorated for her and Dad, with one of the spare bedrooms set up and occupied by our Timmy. Yes, we’ll continue to go on without her but it won’t be near as much fun without her love, laughter, and sense of adventure. So, keep dinner waiting on the deck., Mom and we’ll try to not be late.
