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Blairstown Press; July 2, 1920
Wm. J. Hils Summoned
William J. Hils
Pioneer Resident Who Came To Blairstown In The Fall of 1868, Answers Final Summons
Blairstown has been called upon to mourn the loss of another of her sterling citizens in the death of Wm. J. Hils, who passed away at his home here after an illness of six days.
In the early hours of the preceding Sunday, Mrs. Hils spoke to him receiving no answer became alarmed and on investigating found him unconscious and from this attack he never rallied and on the following Saturday death, mercifully ended his suffering.
Mr. Hils has led a very active life after his retirement from farm life, always finding something with which to busy himself.
William J Hils was born near Berlin, Germany, August 9, 1849. He was married to Marie Rabe March 12, 1874. They came to America in 1881 locating at Belle Plaine where they lived for 14 years. In 1894 they moved to the farm south of Blairstown where their son Alfred now lives and about 6 years ago they retired from active farm life coming to Blairstown to live.
Mr. Hils won the confidence of each community in which he lived by the honest, upright character which marked his life. He joined the Evangelical church when he first came to Belle Plaine in 1881 and was a regular attendant at the services of the local church of which he was a member until the close of life.
Three children have preceded him to the better world, 2 of them in childhood while he lived in Germany and the third a son, Herman, who volunteered for service jn the Spanish American war, dying in a hospital of Typhoid fever.
Three children, Louis of Poughkeepsie, N. Y., Alfred of Blairstown and Mrs. R. W. Teneyck of Vinton, who with his faithful companion survive him and with a large circle of friends mourn his loss.
He died June 26, 1920, aged 70 years, 10 months and 5 days.
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