Extracted from The South Idaho Press (Burley, ID)
Sunday, March 27, 2005

Josephine ``Jo'' Hillis

RUPERT -- Josephine ``Jo'' Hillis, 84-year-old Rupert resident, passed away Thursday, March 24, 2005, at Minidoka Memorial Hospital.

Jo was born Aug. 12, 1920, in Shreveport, La., the daughter of Guy W. And Lavonia Mertz. She received her education in Shreveport. She worked for the Caddo Parish Department of Public Welfare in Shreveport and the supply depot at Barksdale Field Air Force Base in Bossier City, La. She married Edward F. Hillis on March 14, 1947, in the Barksdale Air Force Base Chapel.

Jo worked part-time for the Minidoka County News in Rupert, served as clerk for the Minidoka Soil & Water Conservation District and worked for the Bureau of Reclamation in both Rupert and Burley. She served one term as Minidoka County Commissioner and also served on the County Planning and Zoning Commission. She was a group leader and council officer of the Camp Fire Girls, supervisor with the Minidoka Soil and Water Conservation District, and held various offices in the Rupert United Methodist Church and the United Methodist Women.

She is survived by her husband, Edward; two daughters, Jo Anne Frederiksen of Rupert and Joyce Orem of Idaho City; one granddaughter, Leslie Frederiksen and her fiance, Nick Harvey of Nampa; and one niece, Billie Barnhardt of Pensacola, Florida.

She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers and one sister.

Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Monday, March 28, 2005 at the Rupert United Methodist Church, 605 H St. with Pastor Keith Wise officiating. Burial will follow at the Rupert Cemetery. A viewing for family and friends will be held 6-8 p.m. Sunday, March 27, 2005 at Hansen Mortuary Rupert Chapel, 710 6th St.