Mary Anne Hill
Submitted by highlander1 on
Mary Anne Hill
Aug. 11, 1924~April 19, 2016
Mary Anne Hill passed away on Tuesday, April 19, 2016 in Marble Falls.
She was born and began thin life on Aug. 11, 1924 in ST. Louis, Missouri, and shortly thereafter was adopted by Mr. C. N. and Bessie Hardesty of Dupo, Illinois.
Due to one leg being shorter than the other, her parents introduced her to dancing. As a result dancing became her passion and love in life.
Mary Anne’s high school accomplishments included cheerleading, majorette and drum major.
She also taught young girls dancing in her parents basement.
During WWII she married and moved to F. Pierce, Florida.
While in Florida she gave birth to her only child, Billie Suzanne Leek.
At the end of the war the family moved to Oklahoma City, where she opened two dancing studios until life took the family to Odessa in 1949.
Once again, her love and passion for teaching others tab, ballet, twirling and modeling resurfaced resulting in the opening of the Mary Anne School of Dance.
Her success lead to the opening of additional studios in Crane, Andrews and McCamey, Texas.
Mary Anne’s other accomplishments included found and charter member of the Black Gold American Business Women Association in Odessa, and involvement with the Miss West Texas Pageant, New Mexico Beauty Pageant, and Miss Texas Pageant.
She retired back to her ‘old stomping grounds’ near St. Louis, but once again she couldn’t resist the call of “dance” and formed a Dance Club for young girls.
In 2001 she moved to Marble Falls to be closer to her daughter, Suzanne Taylor.
There she learned a new ‘passion’ that of gardening and developed quite a ‘green thumb’.
She loved her plants and yard.
However, her independence was taken from her several years later due to a freak accident.
About that time, The Arbor House was opened and she was one of the first three residents to move in.
The Arbor House truly became home for Mary Anne as she made precious friendships with the residents and staff.
Mary Anne Hill is survived by her daughter, Suzanne and husband Steve Taylor; grandson Richard Earls and wife Renee of Odessa; great-grandson Mitch Earls and wife Liz and great-great- grandson Gavin Earls and great-great-granddaughter Sophia Earls of Albuquerque, New Mexico; great-granddaughter Morgan Earls of Austin; great-grandson Preston Earls of Odessa, and Bill Earls, grandson, also of Odessa.
The family would like to offer their heartfelt “Thank You” to the staff of Arbor House for their loving care and compassion expressed during Mary Anne’s residency and compassion expressed to that of her family.
We would also like to express our gratitude to Toby her Hospice Nurse.
A Celebration of life will be held at The Arbor House on Thursday, April 28, 2016 at 2 p.m.
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