Lowell Hilton

Lowell Hilton was a kind and pleasant man who loved the land. From the moment he was born on his parent’s farm, it was apparent that farming was in his blood. Throughout his life he would work to produce the nutritious food that would feed thousands of people through the years.

In 1909, trouble was brewing in the East. Japan had just begun their 36-year occupation of Korea, and the Korean's nationalists responded by assassinating the Japanese Prince. In the Western world, however, times were relatively peaceful and happy. It was on July 28 of that historic year that Howard and Marie Hilton welcomed their third son Lowell to their family home in Walker, Michigan. From the moment he was born, Lowell loved life on the farm. The wide-open spaces of Walker, Michigan provided the perfect environment for a future farmer and he would remain in the small town for nearly all of his life. Together he and his little brother Charles helped his parents on the farm where they raised fruit and cattle before growing fruit and produce fulltime. The family enjoyed great success in the fruit business; later they purchased a wooded lot near Nunica which they turned into a blueberry farm. Lowell thoroughly enjoyed work on the blueberry farm, and even when the farming operation was turned over to the two sons in 1972, Lowell remained active and involved in the business into July of this year.

Although Lowell kept very busy working around the farm, he still made time for his education. A naturally intelligent young man, Lowell did well in school and at a time when many young men were leaving high school after their sophomore year, he continued his education and graduated from Union High School in 1928. Throughout his high school career, Lowell enjoyed listening to music. A fan of Lawrence Welk, he grew fond of traditional and folk music. He was fond of the ukulele in particular, and he eventually crafted one himself, which he taught himself to play after school. With his enjoyable personality, Lowell made many friends in high school, and a good friend Andy Visser had the foresight to introduce Lowell to his friend Edith. The couple found they had a great deal in common and following a traditional courtship they were married.

After Lowell and Edith were married, he continued to farm to support the family. Lowell loved his work on the farm and found true joy in selling his produce. He ran the Happy Apple Fruit Stand for many years, a job which allowed him to meet many people and make many friends. Because farming was his way of life, he was very active in issues related to farming and was a proud member of the Farm Bureau. Farming was always Lowell’s top priority. For him, it was not simply a vocation, but a passion. Even though he had many acres of farmland, he still enjoyed keeping a small garden near his home, which he cared for during his free time. Lowell had a talent for farming, and later in his life, he expanded his farm to include honey bees, which he enjoyed caring for. Years of work on the farm had taught him to make do in most any circumstance and firmly believed that there was nothing that could not be fixed with some “bailing wire and duct tape.”

A man of faith, throughout his life Lowell trusted God to help him make it through difficult times. On Palm Sunday of 1966 when a tornado came through and destroyed some of his fields, he relied on his faith to make it through the rough season. Lowell’s religion was very important to him and throughout his life he attended Westview Christian Reformed Church, Richmond Reformed Church and Coopersville Bible Church. He was a true fan of Bill Graham. Lowell’s Christian spirit taught him to be generous and kind to others, a philosophy he carried over into all aspects of his life. Lowell treated his farm workers with respect, and over the years he housed and employed many migrant and permanent workers.

Although farming was not a 9-5 job, and Lowell had little time for anything else, he was a romantic. When he married his second wife Bonnie, they spent many precious years together. Previous to marrying Bonnie, Lowell had never left the Grand Rapids area, then he and Bonnie traveled to Florida and Hawaii. However, it seems that the couple never had to travel far to find romance. One time when the lovebirds were “parking” on the fields of the farm, some children found them and started rocking the car! They truly enjoyed their time together, and although his favorite possessions were the arrowheads he found on his farm, it is apparent that his wife and children were very dear to his heart.

After 95 years of a life filled with love and family, Lowell went to be with his Lord and Savior on August 2, 2004. He was preceded in death by his wives Edith and Bonnie, a daughter Emily, and brothers Charles, Howard, Marshall, Max, and Willard and great-grandson Isaac. He will lovingly be remembered by his son Daniel; sister-in-law Frieda; special nephew and niece Phil and Gloria Hilton; step-children Bonnie and Gerald Joldersma, Mary and Norm Geible, John and Pam Brummel, and Sue and Michael Bozek; as well as several nieces, nephews, cousins, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Friends are invited to meet with Lowell’s family on Wednesday from 3-9 PM at the Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel, 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW, 49504. Funeral services/Memorial services will be held at Coopersville Bible Church, 35 Hillcrest, Coopersville, MI on Thursday, August 5, 2004 at 11 AM. Private interment in Greenwood Cemetery. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to read Lowell’s life story, share a memory, send flowers or make a memorial contribution to Hospice of Holland Home or Coopersville Bible Church Building Fund.

Lowell was a dedicated farmer, who found joy in working on the land. Though he worked from dawn till dusk every day, he never tired of his farm, and his fruit fields remained his favorite place on earth.