Artie Hillis

Artie Mae Brewer Hillis, 89, died Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011, at Ratliff Care Center.

She was born Feb. 22, 1921, daughter of Richard "Dick" and Mary "May" Waggoner Brewer. She was the oldest of five children and the only daughter. She and Thomas Nelson Hillis were married Jan. 1, 1937, in Cash, Ark. He preceded her in death June 23, 1990.

Artie was a farmer's wife and mother of six children. She was familiar with hard work -- picking a lot of cotton and canning a lot of fruits and vegetables.

She was a member of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff and a former member of Providence Baptist Church in Marmaduke, Ark.

Survivors include three brothers, Donald Brewer of Huntsville, Ark., Leamon Brewer of Ash Flat, Ark., and Freman Brewer of Cash. Surviving children include Violet (Harold) Condray of Ellsinore, Mo., Opal (Tom) Aden of Cape Girardeau, Floyd (Jan) Hillis of Owensboro, Ky., Henry Hillis of Hawaii and Ruth (Jerry) Jenkins of Nashville, Tenn.

Also grandchildren, Randy (Lisa) Marshall, Sheila (Ritchie) Calvert, Shannon (John) Poole of Poplar Bluff, Anita Zimmerman of West Palm Beach, Fla., Byron (Dana) Aden of Cape Girardeau, Bruce Aden of Afghanistan, Amy (Brian) Crafford of Paducah, Ky., Michael Credille of Broseley, Mo., Susan (Mel) McCarty of Columbus, Miss., Will (Kerri) Hillis of Mount Juliet, Tenn., Emma Hillis of Owensboro; 18 great-grandchildren; and three great-great- grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; a brother, John Richard Brewer; a daughter, Virgie (Mickey) Credille; and a granddaughter, Carla Credille Austin.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at Fitch-Hillis Funeral Home in Poplar Bluff.

The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Providence Church in Lafe, Ark., with the Rev. Don Seat officiating. Burial will be in Providence Cemetery.