Lillian Hinton

Lillian Schipper Hinton

1922 - 2021

Our sweet Mother passed away, at home with family near, on February 9, 2021, in Bountiful, Utah, at the age of 98.

“Lillian, oh Lillian, oh sweet sweet sweet Lillian, oh Lillian you light up my life……”   This diddy, by her son-in-law Richard, tells much about our Mother.  A sweet-natured person who was a light in the lives of her children: David (Jody Gladding), Kathryn (the late Richard Smith), Kerry (Jerry Daugherty), Stephen (Stacy Bridge), Douglas, and her grandchildren,  Aneleisa, Makenzie, Aniston, and Emily, and of course her dear husband B. Ardene Hinton to whom she was married in the Salt Lake City Temple on August 29, 1952.  Ardene passed away in May of 2014.

Lillian was a light in the life of her parents when she was born on October 18, 1922 to William A. and Phenie Van Dyke Schipper, in Sparks, Nevada. Lillian was the second of five very close-knit fun-loving daughters; Marjorie Bowden, Vivian Anderson, Ruth Schuenman, and Eileen Clawson.  They referred to themselves as “The Sisters of the Wooden Shoe” and were very proud of their Dutch heritage.  They treasured each other’s love, laughter, companionship, and support all their lives. We are still able to enjoy the light from Lillian’s surviving sister Eileen.

She was very involved in many activities at Sparks High School.  Including the yearbook, newspaper, student body officer, and was a DAR Delegate. Lillian was smart, talented, personable and seemed to be good at anything she tried.

After high school Lillian worked and honed her skills.  As a sought after secretary she worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad in Sparks, and for an attorney.

At the age of 25 Lillian attended BYU where she roomed with her three younger sisters.  She was active in numerous endeavors including White Key and Val Norn social group.  In 1949 she was the first person in Utah to take shorthand dictation at 200 words per minute.  She was also an award winning typing whiz.  Lillian graduated in 1951 with a degree in Business.  After college she worked for an executive at U.S. Steel.

Lillian’s charitable services were a light in the lives of a variety of people. Some of them included spearheading the building of a school at Lake Titicaca in Bolivia when PTA President at Tolman Elementary. She oversaw the gathering and distribution of clothes, food, supplies, and gifts to Vietnamese refugees.  In the 1980’s she was the creator/maker of the fabric backpack she filled with donated school supplies given to the homeless children at SLC’s The School With No Name.  The backpack enabled them to also tuck-in their personal belongings for safekeeping. The LDS Church later used her idea for many service projects.

Lillian was a loving and giving Mother and Grandmother who supported her children’s and grandchildren’s decisions and endeavors. She instilled her love of reading and learning in them. While raising her children she also enjoyed working as a substitute teacher at Tolman Elementary and Viewmont High.

She was a light to many who visited Temple Square during two LDS missions she served there with Ardene. On their mission to the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii she made innumerable friends and was an organized and energetic secretary to the president of the PCC.

She was very involved in genealogy and family reunions, using her creativity to make ancestors’ stories come alive and made fun and memorable hands-on activities for the youngsters to learn about their heritage.  The Ensign magazine printed an article about her family reunion ideas.

She held a wide variety of positions in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and especially loved teaching Sunday School and Relief Society. She organized special activities for the ward that are still remembered fondly.

Even though Lillian is no longer on this earth, her memory still remains as a light inside each of us.

A small immediate-family service was held at the Centerville cemetery.  We will celebrate her life when it is safe.

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