Hattie Louvenia Lewis (Marsh) Hill

Mrs. Hattie Louvenia Lewis Hill, 112, of New York, New York, (formerly Southern Pines, North Carolina) entered into eternal rest on Saturday, March 25, 2023

Our beloved Hattie Louvenia Marsh Lewis Hill, the seventh of fourteen children of Lawrence and Cora Marsh, was born on February 1, 1911, in Chatham County, Siler City, North Carolina. She peacefully departed this life Saturday, March 25, 2023, at the remarkable age of 112. Hattie was the last surviving sibling.

Hattie grew up in a Christian family who stressed the importance of church participation. At a young age, she became a member of Gees Grove AME Zion Church in Siler City, where she remained a faithful member until she became an adult and relocated. The church was viewed as an extension of one’s educational and social experience. Hattie attended elementary school, where she completed the eighth grade, the highest level offered to African Americans living in Chatham County then. Years later, she met the requirements for a high school diploma through the GED program.

At the age of eight, Hattie and her siblings experienced a tragedy with the death of both parents in a horse and buggy accident. After their parent’s death, the younger children were provided homes with their older married siblings. Hattie went to live with her sister, Almeda, with whom she lived until she became an adult. She and her sister Ara then moved to Southern Pines, North Carolina to seek a better life and employment. Hattie found employment as a cook, and Ara as a domestic worker. There she worshipped at First Missionary Baptist Church.

While living in Southern Pines, Hattie met and married Robert Lewis. They moved to Birmingham, Alabama. To this union, a son, Robert Jr., was born. After she and Robert divorced, Hattie and her son moved back to Southern Pines. She later met and married Vincent Hill; they decided to move to Englewood, New Jersey, and then to New York City. There, Hattie found employment as a cook with a family with whom she worked until she retired.

Hattie was an excellent cook who expanded her culinary skills while working as a cook. Her family was always anxious to be treated to her delicious dishes at family gatherings. She was compassionate, generous, and loving, and demonstrated it by cooking her favorite meals and sharing resources. She always remembered to send family members holiday and birthday cards with tokens of remembrance. Hattie had a great sense of humor and was known for her dry jokes. She loved to travel and often traveled with her younger sister Ella and her husband until their health limited their ability to travel.

Hattie was often asked what she attributed to her longevity. Her response was “being a good Christian, eating well, and doing good deeds for others, but ultimately, only God knows.”

In recent years, her time was spent studying the Bible and reading the Daily Word. Before COVID, several women in her building gathered once a week for Bible Study. She was overjoyed when family members from different states came to New York to be with her on her birthday. It became an annual gathering when she turned 100. The birthday celebrations were attended by family and members of her church, her doctor, and friends.

In 1945, Hattie joined Convent Avenue Baptist Church in New York. She was a member of the Tri-State Club and the Lotus Blossom Club. She worshiped faithfully, and even in declining health, she always insisted on attending church on Senior Saints Day. She was always glad to receive visits, calls, and information from her church.

Preceding her in death are her parents, Lawrence and Cora Marsh; her son, Robert Lewis, Jr., her husbands, Robert Lewis and Vincent Hill; her thirteen siblings, several nieces and nephews, and one great-great niece.

Those who remain to cherish loving memories are her niece, Renea Lloyd; nephews, Dwane Stevenson, Samuel Marsh, John Lawrence Headen (Judy), and Bobby Headen (Dorothea); niece-in-law, Laura Marsh; a devoted family member and primary caretaker Joyce Flowers (Lloyd); several great-great nieces and nephews and a host of great, great-great nieces, nephews, and cousins; two dear friends, Lucille Goldwire and Deborah Pinckney.

Hattie’s family expresses its sincere gratitude and appreciation to her Primary Care Physician, Dr. Jessica CookMack; her exceptional caregivers, Marie St. John and Norma Ramirez; other health aides, doctors, and nurses who cared for Hattie over the years, and hospice staff from Visiting Nurse Service for the loving care they provided her.

Please keep the family and friends of Mrs. Hattie Louvenia Lewis Hill in your thoughts and prayers. 

McLeod Funeral Home believes in placing your safety first. For the safety of you and those around you, masks are required before entering the building.

Arrangements are entrusted to McLeod Funeral Home of Southern Pines, North Carolina.
 

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.