The 1930 Census listed George H. Hill, then age 8, living in Militia District 870, Chattooga County, Georgia. The family consisted of: Milligan, age 46, born in Alabama; Savannah, age 46, born in Georgia; James M., age 19, born in Georgia; Robert Henry, age 15, born in Georgia; Mary Lou, age 10, born in Georgia, George H., age 8, born in Alabama; and Luke C. Hill, age 5, born in Alabama.

Carolyn Luffman spoke with Mary Dill in the Sumach community to see if she knew anything about George Hill. What a pleasant surprise–"Miss Mary" apparently knew George and his family fairly well.

"Miss Mary" Dill remembers George as "a very nice young man." They attended Sumach school together. She said that the family lived south of Sumach Church on the Rickett place, then later they moved north of the church and lived on the Oma Jean Dunn place.

"Miss Mary" also remembered various members of the family, saying that the father was Milligan and the mother was called Sarah. She remembers a sister she thinks was called Mary Louise, a brother named Luke, and another brother she thinks was Malcolm.

The details in the preceding paragraph confirm that the family living in Chattooga County in 1930 was the same family that later lived in Murray.

Two Hill family members, Lake Isaac Hill and his mother, Evelyn Helton Hill, provided extensive additional information. The father, Isaac Milligan Hill, was born August 28, 1889 and died March 1, 1959. The mother, Sarah Savannah (Brown) Hill, was born September 11, 1884 and died November 9, 1961.

The dead soldiers paternal grandparents were Robert L. and Amanda J. Hill, listed in the 1900 Census living in Ball Ground District of Murray County. Both had been born in Georgia.

George H. Hill's siblings were: James Monroe Hill (Feb. 5, 1910 - May 14, 1968); Robert Henry Hill (Oct. 12, 1912 - May 4, 1992); Mary Lou Hill Snow (June 24, 1919 - Dec. 9, 1981); and Luke Christopher Hill (June 21, 1924 - March 24, 2008).

His enlistment form indicates that George H. Hill enlisted from Fayette County, Georgia on July 11, 1942. He had completed grammar school and worked as a general farm hand. He had been born in 1921 and was single with no dependents. He enlisted as a Private at Fort McPherson, Georgia. U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945 simply detail that George H. Hill, white, male, was from Georgia. He was an Army Private, with service number 34353173. This service number is same as on his enlistment form. No details of how, where, and when George died were found. "Miss Mary" remembered no specifics but she said he lost his life soon after he entered the fighting phase of his service. She thinks is was "something tragic, perhaps having to do with a ship." His family said they were told that he drowned.

The following article is from the Dalton Citizen, October 23, 1947: "Body of Pvt. Hill Returned Here for Reburial by Barbara Sikes. While the train was in the station, for about four minutes, Wednesday, another Dalton soldier returned home–returned home in a flag-draped casket–returned home to stay.

Pvt. George H. Hill was met at the station by his father, a brother, an eight-man honor guard of the V.F.W., and friends who had missed him since he left Dalton a little over five years ago, just 14 months before he was drowned in New Caledonia on October 9, 1943.

The body of Pvt. Hill was the first of a Dalton veteran to be returned home for reburial. It arrived in San Francisco on October 10 on the motor-ship Honda Knot. A special train brought home the remains of Pvt. Hill and his fellow countrymen who were killed on foreign soils and foreign waters.

Isaac M. Hill, the father, and Luke, the brother, stood with tear-filled eyes as the casket was being removed from the train by J. A. Smith, V.F.W. Commander, Charles Bevil, Gordon Dantzler, Cecil Wilkins, W. O. Cagle, A. G. Rann, Walter Kirk, and Dorsey Morgan of the local V.F.W. post.

Cpl. Thelene Cadwell was the Army honor guard who accompanied the body from Atlanta.

Funeral services will be held Thursday at 3 p.m. at the First Baptist Church with the Revs. G. D. Legg, Charlie Plemons, and Edgar Hawkins officiating. Burial with full military honors will be held at West Hill Cemetery with Kenemer Brothers in charge of the funeral arrangements.

Pvt. Hill is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Isaac M. Hill, sister, Mrs. Marshall Snow, and brothers Monroe, Robert, and Luke Hill, all of Dalton."

A tombstone in West Hill Cemetery, Section V, Dalton, Georgia, is inscribed: George H. Hill, July 1, 1921, October 9, 1943, Ga. Pvt. 82nd Cml. Bn. WW II. That unit was the 82nd Chemical Mortar Battalion, called "The Jungle-Fighting CMB."

 

Murray County Families