By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN
Special to Hays Post
Rosemary Hillman is a good sport while talking about the intricacies of living a long life.
“At my age, who can remember anything for very long?” she asked with a laugh recently.
But it’s a sure bet that the Hays woman will remember her latest family celebration for a long time.
In August, Rosemary (Rose to most who know her) celebrated her 95th birthday with all her immediate family present – in the church in which she has enough special memories to fill a pew or two.
More than 30 Hillman family members gathered on Aug. 6 - two days after Rose's birthday — at the Chapel of Doves. The quaint little church sits on the property of the Rock Haven Spa & Salon near the small Ellis County community of Schoenchen.
It’s the same building where Rose attended as a youngster in rural Graham County, then named Mount Pleasant Church. It was where she married Bob Hillman in 1947 on his 20th birthday. And it was where she and her husband celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1997. They were married for 57 years before Bob died in 2004.
The church has been moved several times, from its original 1909 construction site to another Graham County spot in 1924, then to the Frontier City area in northwest Hays in 1990, and finally to its current location in 2019.
But Rose will tell you the church – and all it stands for – is the same special place it has always been for her and her family.
“I was practically born there, definitely grew up there,” said Rose, the youngest of five children born to Ray and Lois Noah. “We made a lot of memories in that church.”
She talked of days gone by, when she was a youngster and attended church at Mount Pleasant. She explained how her father would travel to church early on Sunday mornings to light the stove and have it ready for the congregation when it appeared for services.
Rose admits her 90th birthday bash back in 2017 was one for the ages, too.
But she has been looking forward to this get-together for more than six months after her daughter, Sherry Crow from Hays, suggested having the party In the Chapel of Doves – so named because of 140 ceramic doves that adorn the walls of the church.
Sherry said she decided not to have a surprise party because she wanted her mother to enjoy the preparation leading up to the big event.
“I knew she would have so much fun looking forward to this,” Sherry said. “When we first thought of all this, we were thinking that would be a great place to have Mom’s 100th birthday. Then we decided, ‘Why wait?’ ”
“I told everyone this is something far better to come together for than a funeral,” Rose quipped.
Family came from near and far, including New Orleans and Oregon, to help Rose celebrate. Both her sons, Larry from Norton and Jarry from Enid., Okla., were there with their spouses, joining youngest sibling Sherry and her husband on their mother’s special occasion. All of Rose’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren also were able to attend.
Four family members – two grandchildren and two spouses of her grandchildren – are licensed ministers.
They each gave a sermon centering on the characteristics of Rose that remind them of Jesus – 1) generosity and hospitality; 2) sacrifice; 3) joy and sense of humor; and 4) children love.
Rose, a devout Christian, took advantage of the opportunity to preach scripture to her family as well, reciting one of her favorite verses from the Bible (Romans 10:9).
“If you declare with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved,” she told her attentive audience.
In looking back, Rose said she is grateful for many things: her family, good health and a friendship she formed with Dereama Allenbaugh in a small-group session at Celebration Community Church in Hays.
Allenbaugh is the owner of Rock Haven Spa and the one who decided to move the building to her property to restore and preserve the church.
“We thought this would be the perfect place to have small weddings and other special occasions,” Allenbaugh said of the church, which holds about 60 people. “We wanted to move it here and use it for what it was meant to be used for – making memories.”
Memories like those for Rose Hillman, who is still having a hard time today explaining what this particular birthday party meant to her.
“It was special … special … special,” she said, admitting that she is looking forward to more special birthdays. “I’m working on 96 now.”
