Lois Hill

Lois Hill, 98, of North Conway passed away peacefully on February 15th at the Merriman House following a long illness. Born on a dairy farm in Windham, ME to Clifford and Elsie Atherton, she attended the Windham schools and graduated in 1930. Shortly thereafter, she was employed as a telephone operator for three to four years in Westbrook. She married Francis Hill in 1932 and had two sons and a daughter over the next 12 years. In 1945, she, along with her husband, started Hill's IGA on Kearsarge Street in North Conway. During this time, Lois was a den mother and a deaconess for the First Church of Christ Congregational in North Conway. As the area became more populated, they decided to expand their business to a second location in Conway in 1957. Through the years, Fran and Lois continued to enlarge the stores and eventually passed the businesses down to their sons, Ron and Barry, upon officially retiring in 1973.

Fran and Lois made the most of their retirement and purchased a "winter" home in Lake Placid, FL. For the next 17 years during the winter, they enjoyed spending time with their friends and made many new dear ones both on and off the golf course. In the summers, they would return to North Conway to spend time with their family and stay involved in the community. Lois and Fran were both very active members of the North Conway Country Club. She always welcomed family to spend time with her whether it was working with ceramics, cooking or simply having a good game of Parcheesi with her daughter, Diane. During the holidays, the Hill home was a major hub of activity with up to 20 family members engaged in celebration. Lois thrived surrounded by her entertaining grandchildren.

Upon the passing of Fran, Lois continued to spend time with her family and decided to stay up north for good. During the early stages of her illness, her son, Ron and his wife, Laeta took care of her. She spent the last 11 years at Merriman House where she was