Maxine Hille

Maxine Hille passed away at the age of 89 at Mesilla Valley Hospice's La Posada in Las Cruces following a short illness, July 21, 2009. Her husband, Dick Hille, preceded her in death in 1998. She is survived by a son, Rod Hille and wife Bonnie of Engle, NM; daughters Ann Mobley and husband Tom of Dona Ana, NM; Linda Edwards and husband Joel of Hurley, NM; and Gayle Ayers and husband Jim of Estancia, NM. A son, Freddie predeceased her in 1941 at the age of three. Surviving grandchildren are: Clint Hille of Gonzalez, TX; Bonnie Jo (Hille) Lee and husband Randy of Edmond, OK; Lori (Mobley) Snodgrass and husband Mel of Santa Teresa, NM; Fred Mobley and wife Rebecca of Las Cruces, NM; Jeff Mobley and wife Cristy of Nichols Hills, OK; Lisa (Edwards) Smith and husband Darryl of Scottsdale, AZ; Jolene (Edwards) Latta and husband Marty of Marana, AZ; Jason Edwards and wife Rhonda of Hurley, NM; Jamie Ayers and wife Christy of Lubbock, TX; Jimi Ann (Ayers) Losleben and husband Chris of Glendale, AZ; and Jeremy Ayers of Glendale, AZ. She has twenty-one great-grandchildren: Shelbi, Blake, Audra, Ross, and Cade Lee; Stephanie and Chance Snodgrass; Brannon and Annalies Mobley; Mackenzie and Madison Mobley: Ryder and Sophia Smith; Dustin Latta: Jayross and Jaycee Edwards; Ethan, Aubree, and Jayton Ayers; and Bradley and Jocelyn Losleben. Maxine was born on November 21, 1919 into the family of a horse and buggy country doctor in Wellington, Texas. The family that included father Dr. W. W. Beach, mother Ethel Beach, brother Gaston Beach, and sister Zenada Beach Anglin, all preceded her in death. The Beach family followed the traveling doctor with residences in several west Texas towns during the first fives years of Maxine's life. In 1924 they settled in Shamrock where the doctor established a private hospital, then called a "sanitarium". The family home and separate living quarters for nurses, along with laundry facilities for the sanitarium, were located on an adjacent lot. In 1935 Maxine met Dick Hille during a family visit to Hot Springs, New Mexico, now Truth or Consequences. During the night of June 11 the couple eloped and were married by a Justice of the Peace in Kingston, whom they had to awaken to perform the ceremony. Together Dick and Maxine homesteaded on the Seco Canyon near the Rio Grande adjacent to present day Caballo Lake, where they built their home and hand dug a well for irrigation and house water. Maxine continued her schooling, riding the school bus to Hot Springs each day, and graduated from Hot Springs High School. They "proved up" on the homestead and received the patent in 1938. When construction on Caballo Dam began, Dick was hired on the project and became a skilled blacksmith and welder. During the World War II years, those skills were considered essential to the war effort and the couple moved through a series of military support projects in Oklahoma, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Arizona. In 1946 they returned to New Mexico and established Las Cruces Welding and Fabrication in Las Cruces, which they owned and operated until 1973. In 1959 Dick and Maxine bought the V O Bar ranch adjoining White Sands Missile Range in northern Dona Ana County and southern Sierra County. During the ensuing years they maintained the home and business properties in Las Cruces, along with the ranch. Following Dick's death in 1998 Maxine sold the city properties, building a home near her daughter Ann north of Dona Ana. In 2004 she sold the ranch, and in 2008 sold the home to live her final days with Ann and Tom. Funeral services will be held at 10 am, Monday July 27, 2009, preceded by family visitation at 9 am, at Fairacres Baptist Church, where Maxine was a long time member, under the direction of Rev. Dr. Robert Donohue, with burial following at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens. Maxine's grandsons will serve as pallbearers. The family requests that in lieu of flowers memorial gifts be made to Fairacres Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 257, Fairacres, NM 88003; or to Mesilla Valley Hospice, Inc, 299 Montana Ave, Las Cruces, NM 88005 PDF Printable Version