Jimmy W Hill

Jimmy W. Hill, 66, Bismarck, formerly of Ray, lost his brief but brave battle with cancer on June 1, 2016, at CHI St. Alexius Health with his kids and wife by his side. Visitation in Bismarck will be on Sunday, June 5, from 4:00-7:00 pm, with a memorial service at 7:00 pm at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway. Family and friends are invited for burgers and beers out at the Ray Golf Course on Monday, June 6, at 6:00 pm. Visitation in Ray will begin at 10:00 am on Tuesday, June 7, and a celebration of Jim’s life will be held at 1:00 pm, at Ray Lutheran Church. Burial will follow at Sunset Rest Cemetery. Jimmy Wallace was born in Williston, N.D., on December 2, 1949, the only son to Wallace and Edith (Tvedt) Hill. With his five sisters, Dianne, Karen, Sheri, Laurie, and Kathy, Jimmy grew up on the family farm northwest of Ray. He was baptized and confirmed at Rainbow Valley Lutheran and attended Rainbow Country School through his elementary grades. He spent his secondary grades living in Ray with his second family, Hilde, Arnold, and Jim’s “brother” Dave Anderson, and graduated from Ray High School in 1967. Jim then attended and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business and education from Minot State University. After a short stint teaching in Popular, MT, he returned to teach in Ray and eventually take over the family farm, a labor he had in his blood and which he both loved and (quite literally) cursed every day. It was here that he met a long-haired brunette and fellow Ray Jay, Tammie (Tong). Their marriage in 1977 followed by the births of their two daughters, Amber “Ambee Dawn” and Erin “Erin Lane-heart,” continued Jim’s life of being completely surrounded by ladies. This world of women all changed when his son, Shane “Shaner-man,” was born, giving Jimmy the right-hand man, elevated blood pressure, and very best friend he had waited for. Jim was an active member of the community for the nearly 62 years he called Ray “home”, serving on countless boards and committees. Jim and Tammie retired in December 2012 after a successful career with Farmers Union Insurance and bought a home in Bismarck to be closer to their kids. Though he so enjoyed having his kids and grandkids close by and made new friends playing golf and cards, he definitely missed his hometown, his lifelong friends, and his time on the farm, in the office, at the elevator, in the café, and at the Ray Golf Course. The advanced leukemia diagnosis he received this last December brought out the stubborn Norwegian farmer he always was, never giving up on glimmers of hope but finding comfort throughout the fight in his quiet faith. He was so grateful for the friends and family who took time to call, text, visit, take him to the casino, ice fishing, or for a pontoon ride, and to the medical professionals, especially the St. A’s HVC staff, who helped keep him going as long as he did. Jimmy will be remembered as a good man with a hard work ethic, hearty laugh, clever and occasionally crude sense of humor, and a desire to make others more comfortable than he was, all the way through even his last days. He’s now in a place where the crops are lush, the slots pay out, the fish are biting, and the fairways are wide. Jimmy is survived by his patient, compassionate caregiver and wife of 38 years, Tammie; daughters, Amber Hill, and Erin Oban and her husband, Chad; son, Shane Hill, his wife, Connie, and their children, Ayden and Collins "Coco"; and his mother-in-law, Elaine Tong, all of Bismarck; his sisters and their families, Karen (Curt) Salveson, Dianne (Carl) Wilfrid, Sheri (Wayne) Retzer, Laurie (Jeff) Kupper, and Kathy (Greg) Johnson; sisters-in-law Bev (Bill) Strutzel, Jackie Wolf (Kevin Hushka), and Lori (Larry) Erie; many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, all who loved their “Uncle Jimmer” and “Uncle Baldy”; and his barking companion, Schatzee. He is preceded in death by his parents, Wally and Edie Hill; his father-in-law, John Edward Tong; his granddaughter, Ava; numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins; and a nephew, Justin. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Ray Lutheran Church, Ray Golf Course, Ray Public School, Ray Fire Department, or the Ray EMT. If you’re able, please consider donations of blood and/or blood products that extend the lives of others in need.