Florence Alpha (Hill) Ivy was born on December 1, 1921 in Hunt, Texas to Joseph Wesley and Katie Maud Hill. She was the third oldest of nine children.
When Florence was in the first grade, her family moved to the small West Texas town of Balmorhea. It was here that Florence and her family toughed out the Great Depression, and where she spent most of her school life. In spite of the rough times, she fell in love with West Texas, and until she died, it was always one of her favorite places in the world.
When WWII broke out, Florence and a younger sister left Texas and went to Goodyear, Arizona. There they became members of the famous "Riveting Rosies", the women who supported the war effort by working in the aircraft factory, building the WWII war planes. Because she was small, Florence's job was to climb inside the wings of the aircraft and crawl out to the tip, where she "bucked" the rivets the riveters were driving in. This was a very special time in Florence's life, one she was very proud of and always loved to talk about.
On January 4, 1947, Florence married Mellie M. Ivy in Uvalde, Texas. They lived in Mellie's home town of Utopia for a couple of years and had a daughter, Dorothy Meline, and a son, Jerry Dale. They moved to Ingram, Texas. After her children were in high school, Florence put that "Riveting Rosie" experience to use again, and went to work at Mooney Aircraft in Kerrville, building small private planes.
In May of 1974, at the age of 52, Mellie died of lung cancer. In 1979, Florence said good-bye to the Texas Hill Country and moved back west, to Pecos, Texas. She lived there until 1999, when she moved, for the last time, to Brighton, Colorado to be close to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Florence was always in motion, and was always ready to take a walk. She loved music, and especially loved to dance. She was a talented artist in oils, and a voracious reader. In the winter, she loved to put jigsaw puzzles together (they had to be ones with "pretty" pictures), and she could get a 1,000 piece or 1,500 piece puzzle finished record time. She was a creative and clever seamstress and made clothes for her children from her own original patterns while they were small, and continued making dresses for her daughter even after she was an adult. Although she never could afford the high fashion accessories, she was imaginative and resourceful. With the bottom of a Clorox bottle, some burlap, ribbon, and a few glass stones from pieces of old jewelry, she put together a "fashion handbag" that was so attractive the ladies at her church were asking where she had bought it!
She was feisty and a fighter, and had a wonderful sense of humor. She loved a good "clean" joke, and could always find something to laugh about. These traits stood her in good stead in her later years. On November 30, 2010, one day before her 88th birthday, she slipped on an icy sidewalk and broke her hip. She recovered from the hip replacement and rehab in fine shape, but 5 months later began to be unsteady on her feet and took several falls. She was diagnosed with a blood clot on the left side of her brain. She underwent brain surgery, which the surgeons were not sure she would survive. But she did. She went to rehab where she had to re-learn how to walk, speak and write. She was told she would never be able to live in her home again. But she did. However, the brain surgery left her with a noticeable speech defect, and short-term memory loss. While she could get words in her head, she had trouble getting them out her mouth. Many times she reverted to describing the word she was thinking but just couldn't say. Although it was extremely frustrating to her, she put her sense of humor into play and managed to laugh at the things that came out of her mouth – and the things that wouldn't come out at all.
Other than that, and the normal issues that come with getting to be 92, Florence was in great health. An annual physical and 1 tiny blood pressure pill were the only "extra" things she did, and her vital stats were better than those of many people half her age.
On July 9, 2014 Florence died suddenly after a short but severe lung infection and pneumonia. She is survived by her daughter, Meline Knago (Cliff) of Brighton, CO; her son, Jerry Ivy (Linda) of Denver; two grandchildren, Lance Higdon (Paula), of Broomfield, CO; and Tanya Fischer (Ronnie) of Fort Lupton, CO; 5 great-grandchildren: Molly, Max, and Emma Higdon, and Marcus and Braydon Fischer; one brother, Marvin Jack Hill (Ernestine) of Kerrville, Texas; and many nieces and nephews throughout Texas and the U.S.
Funeral services will be held Monday, July 14, 2014, 10 AM at Grimes Funeral Chapels in Kerrville, Texas. Burial will follow at Waresville Cemetery in Utopia, Texas.
When Florence was in the first grade, her family moved to the small West Texas town of Balmorhea. It was here that Florence and her family toughed out the Great Depression, and where she spent most of her school life. In spite of the rough times, she fell in love with West Texas, and until she died, it was always one of her favorite places in the world.
When WWII broke out, Florence and a younger sister left Texas and went to Goodyear, Arizona. There they became members of the famous "Riveting Rosies", the women who supported the war effort by working in the aircraft factory, building the WWII war planes. Because she was small, Florence's job was to climb inside the wings of the aircraft and crawl out to the tip, where she "bucked" the rivets the riveters were driving in. This was a very special time in Florence's life, one she was very proud of and always loved to talk about.
On January 4, 1947, Florence married Mellie M. Ivy in Uvalde, Texas. They lived in Mellie's home town of Utopia for a couple of years and had a daughter, Dorothy Meline, and a son, Jerry Dale. They moved to Ingram, Texas. After her children were in high school, Florence put that "Riveting Rosie" experience to use again, and went to work at Mooney Aircraft in Kerrville, building small private planes.
In May of 1974, at the age of 52, Mellie died of lung cancer. In 1979, Florence said good-bye to the Texas Hill Country and moved back west, to Pecos, Texas. She lived there until 1999, when she moved, for the last time, to Brighton, Colorado to be close to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Florence was always in motion, and was always ready to take a walk. She loved music, and especially loved to dance. She was a talented artist in oils, and a voracious reader. In the winter, she loved to put jigsaw puzzles together (they had to be ones with "pretty" pictures), and she could get a 1,000 piece or 1,500 piece puzzle finished record time. She was a creative and clever seamstress and made clothes for her children from her own original patterns while they were small, and continued making dresses for her daughter even after she was an adult. Although she never could afford the high fashion accessories, she was imaginative and resourceful. With the bottom of a Clorox bottle, some burlap, ribbon, and a few glass stones from pieces of old jewelry, she put together a "fashion handbag" that was so attractive the ladies at her church were asking where she had bought it!
She was feisty and a fighter, and had a wonderful sense of humor. She loved a good "clean" joke, and could always find something to laugh about. These traits stood her in good stead in her later years. On November 30, 2010, one day before her 88th birthday, she slipped on an icy sidewalk and broke her hip. She recovered from the hip replacement and rehab in fine shape, but 5 months later began to be unsteady on her feet and took several falls. She was diagnosed with a blood clot on the left side of her brain. She underwent brain surgery, which the surgeons were not sure she would survive. But she did. She went to rehab where she had to re-learn how to walk, speak and write. She was told she would never be able to live in her home again. But she did. However, the brain surgery left her with a noticeable speech defect, and short-term memory loss. While she could get words in her head, she had trouble getting them out her mouth. Many times she reverted to describing the word she was thinking but just couldn't say. Although it was extremely frustrating to her, she put her sense of humor into play and managed to laugh at the things that came out of her mouth – and the things that wouldn't come out at all.
Other than that, and the normal issues that come with getting to be 92, Florence was in great health. An annual physical and 1 tiny blood pressure pill were the only "extra" things she did, and her vital stats were better than those of many people half her age.
On July 9, 2014 Florence died suddenly after a short but severe lung infection and pneumonia. She is survived by her daughter, Meline Knago (Cliff) of Brighton, CO; her son, Jerry Ivy (Linda) of Denver; two grandchildren, Lance Higdon (Paula), of Broomfield, CO; and Tanya Fischer (Ronnie) of Fort Lupton, CO; 5 great-grandchildren: Molly, Max, and Emma Higdon, and Marcus and Braydon Fischer; one brother, Marvin Jack Hill (Ernestine) of Kerrville, Texas; and many nieces and nephews throughout Texas and the U.S.
Funeral services will be held Monday, July 14, 2014, 10 AM at Grimes Funeral Chapels in Kerrville, Texas. Burial will follow at Waresville Cemetery in Utopia, Texas.
Florence Alpha (Hill) Ivy was born on December 1, 1921 in Hunt, Texas to Joseph Wesley and Katie Maud Hill. She was the third oldest of nine children.
When Florence was in the first grade, her family moved to the small West Texas town of Balmorhea. It was here that Florence and her family toughed out the Great Depression, and where she spent most of her school life. In spite of the rough times, she fell in love with West Texas, and until she died, it was always one of her favorite places in the world.
When WWII broke out, Florence and a younger sister left Texas and went to Goodyear, Arizona. There they became members of the famous "Riveting Rosies", the women who supported the war effort by working in the aircraft factory, building the WWII war planes. Because she was small, Florence's job was to climb inside the wings of the aircraft and crawl out to the tip, where she "bucked" the rivets the riveters were driving in. This was a very special time in Florence's life, one she was very proud of and always loved to talk about.
On January 4, 1947, Florence married Mellie M. Ivy in Uvalde, Texas. They lived in Mellie's home town of Utopia for a couple of years and had a daughter, Dorothy Meline, and a son, Jerry Dale. They moved to Ingram, Texas. After her children were in high school, Florence put that "Riveting Rosie" experience to use again, and went to work at Mooney Aircraft in Kerrville, building small private planes.
In May of 1974, at the age of 52, Mellie died of lung cancer. In 1979, Florence said good-bye to the Texas Hill Country and moved back west, to Pecos, Texas. She lived there until 1999, when she moved, for the last time, to Brighton, Colorado to be close to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Florence was always in motion, and was always ready to take a walk. She loved music, and especially loved to dance. She was a talented artist in oils, and a voracious reader. In the winter, she loved to put jigsaw puzzles together (they had to be ones with "pretty" pictures), and she could get a 1,000 piece or 1,500 piece puzzle finished record time. She was a creative and clever seamstress and made clothes for her children from her own original patterns while they were small, and continued making dresses for her daughter even after she was an adult. Although she never could afford the high fashion accessories, she was imaginative and resourceful. With the bottom of a Clorox bottle, some burlap, ribbon, and a few glass stones from pieces of old jewelry, she put together a "fashion handbag" that was so attractive the ladies at her church were asking where she had bought it!
She was feisty and a fighter, and had a wonderful sense of humor. She loved a good "clean" joke, and could always find something to laugh about. These traits stood her in good stead in her later years. On November 30, 2010, one day before her 88th birthday, she slipped on an icy sidewalk and broke her hip. She recovered from the hip replacement and rehab in fine shape, but 5 months later began to be unsteady on her feet and took several falls. She was diagnosed with a blood clot on the left side of her brain. She underwent brain surgery, which the surgeons were not sure she would survive. But she did. She went to rehab where she had to re-learn how to walk, speak and write. She was told she would never be able to live in her home again. But she did. However, the brain surgery left her with a noticeable speech defect, and short-term memory loss. While she could get words in her head, she had trouble getting them out her mouth. Many times she reverted to describing the word she was thinking but just couldn't say. Although it was extremely frustrating to her, she put her sense of humor into play and managed to laugh at the things that came out of her mouth – and the things that wouldn't come out at all.
Other than that, and the normal issues that come with getting to be 92, Florence was in great health. An annual physical and 1 tiny blood pressure pill were the only "extra" things she did, and her vital stats were better than those of many people half her age.
On July 9, 2014 Florence died suddenly after a short but severe lung infection and pneumonia. She is survived by her daughter, Meline Knago (Cliff) of Brighton, CO; her son, Jerry Ivy (Linda) of Denver; two grandchildren, Lance Higdon (Paula), of Broomfield, CO; and Tanya Fischer (Ronnie) of Fort Lupton, CO; 5 great-grandchildren: Molly, Max, and Emma Higdon, and Marcus and Braydon Fischer; one brother, Marvin Jack Hill (Ernestine) of Kerrville, Texas; and many nieces and nephews throughout Texas and the U.S.
Funeral services will be held Monday, July 14, 2014, 10 AM at Grimes Funeral Chapels in Kerrville, Texas. Burial will follow at Waresville Cemetery in Utopia, Texas.
When Florence was in the first grade, her family moved to the small West Texas town of Balmorhea. It was here that Florence and her family toughed out the Great Depression, and where she spent most of her school life. In spite of the rough times, she fell in love with West Texas, and until she died, it was always one of her favorite places in the world.
When WWII broke out, Florence and a younger sister left Texas and went to Goodyear, Arizona. There they became members of the famous "Riveting Rosies", the women who supported the war effort by working in the aircraft factory, building the WWII war planes. Because she was small, Florence's job was to climb inside the wings of the aircraft and crawl out to the tip, where she "bucked" the rivets the riveters were driving in. This was a very special time in Florence's life, one she was very proud of and always loved to talk about.
On January 4, 1947, Florence married Mellie M. Ivy in Uvalde, Texas. They lived in Mellie's home town of Utopia for a couple of years and had a daughter, Dorothy Meline, and a son, Jerry Dale. They moved to Ingram, Texas. After her children were in high school, Florence put that "Riveting Rosie" experience to use again, and went to work at Mooney Aircraft in Kerrville, building small private planes.
In May of 1974, at the age of 52, Mellie died of lung cancer. In 1979, Florence said good-bye to the Texas Hill Country and moved back west, to Pecos, Texas. She lived there until 1999, when she moved, for the last time, to Brighton, Colorado to be close to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Florence was always in motion, and was always ready to take a walk. She loved music, and especially loved to dance. She was a talented artist in oils, and a voracious reader. In the winter, she loved to put jigsaw puzzles together (they had to be ones with "pretty" pictures), and she could get a 1,000 piece or 1,500 piece puzzle finished record time. She was a creative and clever seamstress and made clothes for her children from her own original patterns while they were small, and continued making dresses for her daughter even after she was an adult. Although she never could afford the high fashion accessories, she was imaginative and resourceful. With the bottom of a Clorox bottle, some burlap, ribbon, and a few glass stones from pieces of old jewelry, she put together a "fashion handbag" that was so attractive the ladies at her church were asking where she had bought it!
She was feisty and a fighter, and had a wonderful sense of humor. She loved a good "clean" joke, and could always find something to laugh about. These traits stood her in good stead in her later years. On November 30, 2010, one day before her 88th birthday, she slipped on an icy sidewalk and broke her hip. She recovered from the hip replacement and rehab in fine shape, but 5 months later began to be unsteady on her feet and took several falls. She was diagnosed with a blood clot on the left side of her brain. She underwent brain surgery, which the surgeons were not sure she would survive. But she did. She went to rehab where she had to re-learn how to walk, speak and write. She was told she would never be able to live in her home again. But she did. However, the brain surgery left her with a noticeable speech defect, and short-term memory loss. While she could get words in her head, she had trouble getting them out her mouth. Many times she reverted to describing the word she was thinking but just couldn't say. Although it was extremely frustrating to her, she put her sense of humor into play and managed to laugh at the things that came out of her mouth – and the things that wouldn't come out at all.
Other than that, and the normal issues that come with getting to be 92, Florence was in great health. An annual physical and 1 tiny blood pressure pill were the only "extra" things she did, and her vital stats were better than those of many people half her age.
On July 9, 2014 Florence died suddenly after a short but severe lung infection and pneumonia. She is survived by her daughter, Meline Knago (Cliff) of Brighton, CO; her son, Jerry Ivy (Linda) of Denver; two grandchildren, Lance Higdon (Paula), of Broomfield, CO; and Tanya Fischer (Ronnie) of Fort Lupton, CO; 5 great-grandchildren: Molly, Max, and Emma Higdon, and Marcus and Braydon Fischer; one brother, Marvin Jack Hill (Ernestine) of Kerrville, Texas; and many nieces and nephews throughout Texas and the U.S.
Funeral services will be held Monday, July 14, 2014, 10 AM at Grimes Funeral Chapels in Kerrville, Texas. Burial will follow at Waresville Cemetery in Utopia, Texas.
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