Dean Edwin Hill was born October 1, 1932 in Pretty Prairie Kansas to George and Elsie (Meador) Hill. He was the fourth born out of 11 children. In February of 1947, the family, George, Elsie, Dean and 8 siblings, moved to Cope Colorado. Dean helped George on their family farm. Dean’s dad would hire his boys out to help the neighbors harvest their crops. Dean and Wayne, picked by hand, the first hybrid corn grown in the area, Dean was always proud of that.
Dean met the love of his life Phyllis Ellsworth, at a church party in 1953. They were married on April 15, 1954 at the Nazarene Church in Yuma, Colorado. On May 11, 1954, three weeks after their wedding, Dean entered the Air Force and went to boot camp in San Antonio TX, without Phyllis. Dean was then stationed in Cheyenne, where Phyllis joined him. While in Cheyenne, they were blessed with their first daughter Gloria in October of 1955. They were then transferred to Fairbanks Alaska in December of 1955. There they were then blessed with a son, Gale in April of 1957. While in Alaska, Dean and his friend Roy Jeffries, helped to build an Assembly of God Church in North Pole Alaska. On December 20, 1957, Dean was discharged from active duty from the Air Force. They then moved back to a farm east of Cope, where Dean and Phyllis worked side by side farming and raising Charolaise cattle. Their family was blessed with 3 more children, Garold in July of 1959, Greta in December of 1960, and Garvin in August of 1962. On May 10, 1962, Dean was honorably discharged after being in the Air Force Reserves. In 1969 they decided to put in a sprinkler for irrigation. To accomplish this, they moved their house to the north 600 feet and turned the house a quarter turn. To this day any of the family that lived in the house before are mixed up with what direction they are looking when they look out the kitchen window.
For their 40th wedding anniversary they were able to take a vacation and revisit their home in Alaska. He wasn’t much of a fisherman but was excited to catch several fish on their trip.
Dean loved working on the farm with the help of his son Garvin. Checking sprinklers and watering cows was an excuse he used regularly to leave family dinners early. He always had to get home before dark. In September of 1996, while the family was all gone for Labor Day weekend, Dean was unloading a tailgate out of the back of a semi-trailer when he fell to the ground, breaking his leg. Phyllis saw him lying on the ground and called 911.
Dean was a deacon, Sunday school teacher, and a well-known attendant and leader of Cope Assembly of God church, which he helped to build in 1950.
After Phyllis passed away in June 2019, Gloria continued to help Dean with day-to-day duties around the house, while Garvin helped with the farming. On July 15, 2022 Dean was coming upstairs, in his house; he got to the 3rd step from the top and lost his balance resulting in him falling back down the stairs. Dean was sent to Yuma hospital by ambulance, and then flown to Loveland by helicopter. He broke his sternum, his thumb and had 9 fractured ribs. After a hospital stay, he was moved to Columbine Rehab Center in Windsor, and then to Columbine West in Ft. Collins where, because of his advanced dementia, he resided until his death on December 17, 2024.
Dean is survived by his children, Gloria (Bobby) Heinrichs of Joes, Colorado, Gale (Linda) of Cope, Colorado, Garold (Sherry) of Kirk, Colorado, Greta (Steve) Easterberg of Plainville, Kansas, and Garvin (Susan) of Joes. Grandchildren: Delette (Justin) Crisp, Makeesha (Scott) Lesuer, Jennifer Hill, Stephanie (Justin) Dole, Christopher Hill, Tosha Hays, Toni Benge, Brady (Kayla) Hill, and Toby (Caralyn) Hill. Great-Grandchildren: Gunner, Madison, Kaylee, Kody, Oliver, Paisley, Elijah, Brodie, Kobe, Aniya, Daymn, Emerson, Reagan, Amelia, Scarlett, and Archie. Great-Great Grandchildren: Colton and Kinsley. Brothers: Keith of Greeley, Colorado, Wayne (Amy) of Colome, South Dakota, Harold (Wanda) of Conroe, Texas, Darrell (Connie) of Briggsdale, Colorado, and Gary (Jackie) of Kirk, Colorado. Sisters: Mary (Herb) Davidson of Tucson, Arizona, and Nita (Paul) Phillips of Yuma, Colorado. Brother in laws: Lew (Carolyn) Ellsworth of Sterling, Colorado and Les (Beverly) Ellsworth of Sterling, Colorado. Sister-in-law: Janet Ellsworth of Eaton, Colorado.
Dean is preceded in death by: His wife Phyllis Hill of 65 years, Parents George and Elsie Hill, Father and Mother-in -law, Glen and Velma Ellsworth, Brothers: Glen Hill and Roy Hill, Sister: Rosie Zimmerman. Brother-in-laws and sisters-in-law: Pete Zimmerman, Elsie Hill, Alice Hill, Cleta Hill, Hazel Hill, and Howard Ellsworth. Granddaughter Jesse Hill, and Grandson Izak Hays.
Dean will be greatly missed by all.
Memorials can be sent to: South YW Ambulance Service, 3262 CO RD M, Kirk Colorado 80824.