Estelle Perry Hilton

Obituary

Groves, Texas – Estelle Rita Perry Hilton departed this life on Wednesday, 20 December 2023, attended by family members.

She was born 28 July 1927 in Port Arthur, Texas, daughter of Allen Minton Perry and Agnes Corine Borne. She was preceded in death by her husband, Earl Monroe Hilton, Jr. and her parents; 1 brother, James Milton Perry; 2 sisters, Mildred Helen Perry Gower and Thelma Louise Perry Reeves; one son-in-law, Ralph Russell Dailey III; three grandchildren: Abby Hilton Ross, Anna Hilton Ross and Gregory James Sanford; three great-grandchildren: Samantha Mae Thomas, Cassandra Rebekah Savoie and Caleb Charles Hilton.

Estelle married Earl M. Hilton, Jr. on 6 November 1948. They are the parents of 9 children, all of whom survive: Louise Jeter (Will), Margaret Dailey, Rachel Ross (Johnny), Ruth Hasson (Wes), Julie Christman, Becky Savoie (Spencer), Earl Hilton III (Kari Frost), Allen Hilton (Julie Johnson), and Alden Hilton (Linda Moulton). Their descendants total 236 with 63 grandchildren, 167 great-grandchildren and 6 great-great grandchildren. Estelle is also survived by a step-brother/brother-in-law, Lee McCann.

Estelle was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and active in church service. She especially loved teaching young children both in their classes and as a music leader and was a phenomenal teacher of adults. In their later years, Estelle and her husband, Earl, served a one-year mission for the Church in Des Moines, Iowa, and Moline, Illinois.

Her life’s work was her children’s training, teaching, serving, encouraging and, sometimes, directing and correcting. She was the ‘grandma next-door,’ the mom you could call. She is remembered for her wisdom, organization, stubbornness and fierce loyalty and is also known for:

• insisting her children learn to play the piano well-enough to play in church

• a lifetime of church and temple service

• puzzles, Scrabble, Sudoku, Uno and Sorry

• grandchildren temple trips

• Little Debbie’s and Blue Bell ice cream

• the kumquat and pear trees

• canning hundreds of jars of pears

• homemade mayhaw jelly

• New Year’s Eve sleepovers for the grandchildren that included the movie North Avenue Irregulars and a personalized, sticker-decorated birthday card and $2-bill for every descendant and their spouses every year.

She will be missed.