Hilda Louise Nolan Davis, 87, died in the arms of her family Aug. 27, 2010, in St George, Utah, where she moved in 2009 after having lived in Foster for 67 years.
She was born Feb. 4, 1923 in Lacomb to Ralph Nolan and Stella Johnson Nolan, and lived nearby with her parents and three sisters.
She attended Green Mountain Grade School and Lebanon High School, with the exception of her junior year, when her family lived in Cheshire.
In 1941 she married Denver G. Davis of Cheshire and they moved from Horton to Foster in 1942, where they purchased a log cabin on three acres. The Davises were married for 58 years before his death in 1999. The log cabin was extended many times but still serves as the living room and kitchen of the current house.
Mrs. Davis lived in this house on North River Drive until she moved to the Wiley Creek Community in April 2007. In late 2009, her medical condition and need for care dictated a move closer to family members in southern Utah.
She was the secretary at Foster Elementary School for 34 years, beginning in 1951, long enough to see two generations of students pass through the school.
Many of those students still remember Mrs. Davis selling them lunch tickets (15 cents per lunch, or 25 cents for adults) or school supplies from her cupboard, bandaging countless scrapes and egos, or driving them home when they missed the bus.
In all 34 years, she served only two school principals: Sam Cairnes and Jim Riggs.
Her charity work included a very active membership in the Sweet Home Methodist Church for about 40 years, where she volunteered for any duties that involved teaching or food or rummage sales. More recently she attended the Nazarene Church and was looking forward to imminent membership in that church when her hospitalization and move to Utah forced a change of plan.
She also was very involved in what is now known as Sunshine Industries Unlimited, where her participation dates from the organization’s founding in the 1960s. She served as a board member for 20 years, holding every office except treasurer, and was one of the core group of parents and others who guided the development of Sunshine to what it is today. Every Wednesday for five years, she cooked a hot lunch at Sunshine, much to the joy of the clients and staff.
When she could, Mrs. Davis enjoyed travel, ranging from picnics at McDowell Creek Falls and leisurely drives through the valley’s farmland to more ambitious vacations in Southern California, Montana, New England, Washington, D.C., West Virginia and other East Coast destinations.
Her international travel included trips to Mexico, Canada, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Holland.
Mrs. Davis is survived by a son, George and daughter-in-law Linda Davis, of St. George; two daughters, Deanna and son-in-law Dennis Tidwell of Hershey, Pa., and Janet Davis of St. George; and a sister, Eunice Kortje of Irvine, Calif.; three grandchildren; one great-grandson; and two nieces, Susan Bergeron and Sheila Muller, of California.
She was preceded in death by two sisters, Ann Nolan of Sweet Home (2006), and Martha Nolan of Santa Ana, Calif. (2010).
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 4, at the Sweet Home Funeral Chapel, with burial at Gilliland Cemetery next to Mrs. Davis’ husband, sister, and parents.
Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling the arrangements.