Emma Jean Hill

She was born on August 15, 1929, as Emma Jean Patillo, in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Her parents were Occie & Lola Mae Patillo. Over the next few years of the Great Depression, they moved around with a stop in Mobile, Alabama and later settled in Whiteville, Tennessee. She grew up along with 3 brothers and 1 sister. She graduated from Germantown High School near Memphis, TN in 1947. She worked for Sears, Roebuck & Company in Memphis for several years.

She met Henry James “Bud” Clare a US Navy mechanic at a USO Club dance in Memphis, TN. They were married on October 21, 1950. They were transferred to Lakehurst, New Jersey. Soon after, Bud shipped out to Korea on board the aircraft carrier, USS Bon Homme Richard. With a new baby she moved home to Whiteville, TN while Bud was overseas. After he returned from the war Bud had a Civil Service job on the Navy supply base in Memphis. They had 3 children, James Michael Clare, Barry Wayne Clare, & Pamela Lee Clare. When the Supply Base closed in 1963, they and a lot of Memphis families, transferred to Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Georgia.

In addition to being a mother & housewife, she restarted her working career as a Kindergarten teacher at Shirley Hills Baptist Church, and a substitute teacher for Houston County Schools. She became a Licensed Realtor in 1972, and joined KEG Realty. She spent the next 25+ years as a realtor helping people of Warner Robins find their dream homes. She became a widow in 1982. She was an active member of Shirley Hills Baptist Church for 45 years. Her pride and joy are her 4 grandchildren, William Henry Fredlund, Erik Tyler Fredlund, Kirsten Clare Fredlund, and Mandy Lynne Clare.

In 1996 she met David Hill; they were married soon after, and were together until he passed away in January 2005. In 2008 she moved to Kennesaw, Georgia to be close to her daughter Pam. She joined & became an active member of First Baptist Church Kennesaw. She is survived by her daughter, Pamela Lee Clare Fredlund, son-in-law Richard William Fredlund, and grandchildren William Henry Fredlund (Girlfriend Molly Wyse), Erik Tyler Fredlund & his wife Anna Fredlund, Kirsten Clare Fredlund, and Mandy Lynne Clare.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, that donations be sent to Shirley Hills Baptist Church in Warner Robins, GA; or to First Baptist Church Kennesaw, in Kennesaw, GA.