Beulah L. Hill

Beulah L. Hill

November 17,1925—December 1, 2023

After a long and full life of 98 years, two weeks and one day, Beulah Laurene Buckman Hill passed away peacefully on December 1, 2023 in Elkhorn, NE.

Beulah was born November 17, 1925 in rural Pawnee County, Kansas, the oldest of two daughters born to Fred and Marie (Huck) Buckman.  Her childhood was spent on the farm with many close relatives living on the farms nearby.  She began piano lessons at a young age; she continued to play throughout her lifetime and taught piano at William Woods College after graduation..  Her grade school in Sanford was close by and she excelled at her studies.  Once she began high school, her parents preferred she attend school in Larned, going so far as to arrange  transportation with a neighbor who commuted to an elementary school where he was the principal.  Later on, due to World War II and its rationing limitations, they arranged for her to reside during the week in a local boarding house in Larned close enough to walk to school.  Although as a farmer Fred had generous rationing allotments, he felt it was his patriotic duty to be conservative in his use of them.

As her high school career neared its end, an admissions representative from Colorado Women’s College visited with school administrators to inquire after promising students who would benefit from a scholarship to attend the two-year institution in Denver.  Beulah was awarded this assistance and began her higher education journey there following her May, 1943 graduation from Larned High School, traveling by train to and from her family home. She was a proud alumnus of both schools, faithfully attending the Class of 1943 reunions and reading the CWC alumni publication for decades.

She then continued her education at the Kansas City Conservatory of Music, where she met fellow student James Hill.  They were married in Kansas City, Missouri on June 4, 1949.  The early years of their marriage took them to Savannah, Georgia, Puerto Rico, and other locales for Jim’s job as a trumpet player in dance bands. Eventually, they landed in Omaha, Nebraska for his job in radio commercial time sales and she has been an Omaha resident ever since. Beulah worked in clerical roles in both Kansas City and Omaha before they welcomed their first child, Carol Jean, in 1959, followed by Constance Lee in 1962 and John Braden in 1964.   They divorced in 1976.

After working for Central States Insurance for a few years, Beulah began her long career supporting Douglas County Hospital adminstrators, a position she held for 22 years.  Always a conscientious and dedicated employee, she greatly valued the friendships she made over those years. Her well-deserved retirement began in 1993.

Beulah had many talents and interests other than playing the piano. She shared season tickets to the Omaha Symphony Pops series and Omaha Playhouse season with friends for many years, sewed clothing for herself, her children and grandchildren, including both flower girl dresses worn by her granddaughter Allison, always had excellent penmanship and grammar, had a knack for finding and making the perfect recipes, and creating dishes that will be part of her family’s celebrations for years to come.  She was a longtime and enthusiastic member of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia in honor of her mother who was born there on January 1, 1900 and emigrated to Kansas at age 4. Her children and the occasional friend could persuade her to travel with favorite destinations being Fort Robinson State Park, Silver Dollar City and Branson, and visits to her children when they lived in Cleveland, Des Moines, Overland Park, Dallas-Fort Worth and the Bay Area. A favorite memory was a sleeper car trip on Amtrak’s California Zephyr to Northern California in 1986 during which she was able to reconnect with both of her CWC roommates after more than 40 years.

Beulah is survived by her three children, Carol Jean (Joel) Gard, Overland Park, KS; Constance Lee (Geoff) Harrold, Omaha; John (Maria) Hill, also of Omaha; grandchildren Allison (Collin) Kitzerow, Sam Gard, Archer Harrold and Lily Harrold; great-grandchildren Eliza and Ian Kitzerow.  She was preceded in death by her parents, beloved sister Donna Strobel, nephew Stephen Strobel, brothers-in-law Lloyd Strobel and William Hill, as well as countless friends, neighbors, and co-workers. The family thanks Colleen and Geri Lynn for their kind care and companionship.

Her family will host a Celebration of Life at 12pm on Saturday, January 27^th at Heafey Hoffman Dworak Cutler, 7850 West Center Road, Omaha, NE. Lunch will be served. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in her memory to The Rabbit Hole, an interactive children’s literature museum and immersive experience opening March 2024 in North Kansas City, MO, https://www.rabbitholekc.org/donate or by mail to: 919 East 14th Avenue, North Kansas City, MO 64116.