Hills - D.T. - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

D. T. Hills, city treasurer, died at his home on East College Street this morning after a short illness. Mr. Hills was sixty five years old at the time of his death. He leaves a large family of grown children. The hard work incident to the campaign this fall and last spring had weakened him and he had not been well for several months but yesterday was feeling better than he had for some time and felt that he would soon be up. However, he suffered a relapse and his constitution was not strong enough to rally. Mr. Hills had only taken his office in September last and was a man of unblemished integrity who would have filled his office with credit to himself and the city. He was a man who had many friends all over the county, having lived here all his life and his death will come as a shock to them.

Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 23 December 1898

Last Friday at 2 o’clock a.m. at his home on East College Street, occurred the death of D. Todd Hills, the city treasurer of Crawfordsville. Mr. Hills had been in ill health for some months but for the last week or so had been, as he thought, improving. He was able to be about and attended to his duties. He went home last Thursday, however, quite tired out and was soon sinking. He grew rapidly worse until the end came. He suffered from a complication of diseases, although the immediate cause of his death was probably heart disease.

Darvin Todd Hills was born December 6, 1831, at Bear Creek, near Dayton, Ohio, and was the son of Darvin T. Hills. In 1852 he came with his parents to Crawfordsville and continued to reside here the balance of his life. His father and mother here celebrated their golden wedding in 1878. On October 5, 1854, Mr. Hills was married to Miss Elizabeth Heaton, the daughter of James Heaton, of Crawfordsville, who, with ten children, survives him. The children are: Rev. Clarence Hills of Benavon, Pa., Ida May Hills of this city, Ernest Herbert Hills of San Francisco, Mrs. Harry Adamson of Chicago, E. O. Hills of Sioux City, Iowa, Carl W. Hills of Lincoln, Neb., Homer C. Hills, Howard Elmer Hills, George T. Hills and Miss Jessie Hills of Crawfordsville. He also leaves six brothers and one sister. They are E. H. Hills of Kansas City, H. J. Hills of Wichita, Kan., R. M. Hills of Crawfordsville, Rev. O. A. Hills, D. D. of Wooster, Ohio, D. A. Hills of St. Louis, F. E. Hills of Oklahoma, and Miss Beulah Isabella Hills of Crawfordsville.

For a number of years after coming to Crawfordsville Mr. Hills was connected with the Hills woolen mill, just northeast of the city, and after that business was disposed of he took a position with the barb wire fence company, which he held until he retired because of advanced age. Last spring he was nominated by the Republicans for the office of city treasurer and in the election he ran far ahead of his ticket, being elected by a splendid majority. He took his office only last September, and the affairs were being administered in an admirable manner. He was a man without an enemy and had the esteem of all who knew him. His life was a busy one and being passed in review it is a credit to the honest, kindly, and sincere old gentleman to whose memory so many contribute good words today. Mr. Hills was a good citizen and good father and husband, and a good Christian.