JOY ANN HILDEBRAND

Joy Ann Hildebrand, 63, of 1371 W. Pine St., Walla Walla, Wash., died Dec. 20, 2002, at Walla Walla General Hospital.

A memorial service and luncheon, attended by nearly 200 of her friends, was held Dec. 28 at the Eagles Lodge No. 26 in Walla Walla.

Mrs. Hildebrand was born July 8, 1939, in Bend, Ore., to Clifford and Virginia Bilyeu Hall. In 1969, she moved to Alaska where she worked as a bookkeeper during the years for Dr. Ekvall, Hayden Electric, Adams Drywall and Mat-Su Title in Wasilla. She met Ronald J. Hildebrand Sr. in Wasilla and they were married May 4, 1984, in Las Vegas, Nev. In 1991 they moved to Walla Walla, where they owned and operated the Polar Bear Club.

She was a lifetime member of the VFW Lodge in Wasilla, past member of the Women Moose in Walla Walla and enjoyed fishing and camping.

She is survived by her husband Ron Hildebrand of Walla Walla; son Ross Buxton of Palmer; daughter Kim Buxton Cummings of Blaine, Wash.; stepchildren Barry Hildebrand of Anchorage; Ronald Hildebrand Jr. of Wasilla; Rick Hildebrand of Blaine, Minn.; Bob Hildebrand of Portland, Ore.; brother Ralph Hall of Naples, Fla.; sister Linda Southerland of Tucson, Ariz.; half sister Gina Tucker of Beaverton, Ore.; five grandchildren; and seven step-grandchildren.

Here family said, "Joy was a kind and generous person who had time to listen to everyone and whose smile lit up a room. She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her."

The family extended a special thanks to the kind and gentle care given Mrs. Hildebrand by the staff at the Walla Walla General Hospital, and her doctors.