Audrey Hill

September 2, 1928-September 9, 2024

Audrey Ann Auld Sweeney Hill, beloved mother and grandmother, suffered a stroke on August 15th and passed away on September 9, 2024, just one week after celebrating her 96th birthday with friends and family.

Audrey was born in Canton, Ohio, on September 2, 1928. She graduated from Hickory High School in Sharon, Pennsylvania in 1945 and planned to start nursing school with her older twin sisters but found out she was too young to attend. She enrolled in a local cosmetology program instead and received her Beauty Shop Operator’s license in 1946.

Audrey married Joseph M. Sweeney on October 3, 1948. In 1951 she read an intriguing series of articles in the local paper about the Matanuska Colony Project in Palmer, Alaska that captured her imagination. Her husband Joe had always wanted to visit Alaska and suggested driving to Palmer for a belated honeymoon. They made an agreement to keep driving north until half their money was spent and then turn around. It took five days to drive up the brand-new Alaskan-Canadian Highway and they only spent two days in Palmer before returning to Pennsylvania. One weekend was long enough to fall in love with Alaska and they vowed to move permanently the next time Joe was laid off from his job at the Sharon Steel Company. True to their word, Joe, Audrey and two-year-old daughter, Karen, drove up the Alcan Highway again in August 1952. Joe’s brother David joined them with his wife and son.

The brothers quickly found jobs as “miner’s helpers” with the Eklutna Hydroelectric project and helped drill the tunnel from Eklutna Lake through Goat Mountain on the (old) Glenn Highway. The families lived in a work camp on the bank of the Knik River for two years before settling permanently in the Butte.

In 1960, Audrey started working in the ice cream plant at the Matanuska Maid Creamery, much to the delight of her children whenever she brought her work home. If they ran out of milk, the kids would get a bowl of ice cream with “Frosty O’s” on top for breakfast. She later worked as a physical therapy aide at the Palmer Pioneer Home until she retired in 1983.

She was an exceptional homemaker, cook and baker who generously donated her time and skills as a 4-H leader teaching local children to bake, sew, and prepare healthy meals. She was a frequent competitor at the Alaska State Fair over the years and won many first and second place ribbons for her cookies, breads, jams, jellies, famous canned beet greens, tuberous begonias and homemade caramels.

Audrey met her second husband, ReVoe Hill while attending square dance lessons. They both enjoyed dancing. Their relationship blossomed and they were married in August 1980. Audrey was an accomplished seamstress and made many matching outfits for herself and ReVoe to wear to square dances. They enjoyed being an active part of the congregation at Peters Creek Chapel, traveling, and spending time with family. They were blessed to share 18 years together.

Audrey was an avid cross-country skier, intrepid backwoods hiker, frequent traveler and passionate dancer who drove to Anchorage for square dances at St. Patrick’s Parish until she was 85. Her adventurous outdoor spirit eventually let to attaining a private pilot’s license shortly after arriving in Alaska, and buying her own plane in the early 1960’s.

She was a longtime member of St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer and later attended Peters Creek Chapel and Wasilla Bible Church. She regularly taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School at St. John Lutheran and eventually taught Home Economics classes at the Peters Creek Chapel School. She was an active link in each church’s prayer chain and donated her delicious cookies, cakes and pies for bake sales.

Audrey was preceded in death by her parents; twin sisters Kathryn Vasilie MacLeod and Marilyn Heazlett; brother, James F. and his bride, Joan Auld; first husband Joseph Sweeney and his second wife Elwanda (Fish) Sweeney (Audrey became great friends with Elwanda over the years); second husband ReVoe Hill; sons-in law Maurice Johnson and John Drasher; and granddaughter Christine Johnson.

She is survived by her children: Karen Sweeney Johnson, Christine Drasher; Michael (Ginger) Sweeney; Kevin (Vonnie) Sweeney; Tammy (Matt) Ketchum; Kathy Vasilie Foster, Fred (Kelly) Vasilie; David (Cindy) Vasilie, and daughter-in-law Lorie Hill. She is also survived by 18 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews who were an important and active part of her life.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, November 30th at Wasilla Bible Church, 1651 W. Nicola Ave. Wasilla, AK at 2:00pm followed by a reception for friends and family.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be mad to the Alaskan chapter of the American Diabetes Association at 200 W. 34th Ave #952, Anchorage, AK 99503.