March 27, 1936 – November 9, 2023
Billie Ruth Bilyeu Hill was born to Ples and Ova Goodpasture Bilyeu on Friday, March 27, 1936 in Overton County, Tennessee, spending formative years in the Flat Creek community of Overton County and Anderson, Indiana, graduating from Livingston Academy in 1954. She married her high school sweetheart Malcolm Hill in December 1956 and spent over 55 years serving the life role she cherished as a homemaker and wife of a Gospel preacher. Together they served churches in Christiana, Tennessee, Adamsville, Alabama, Forest Park, Georgia, Florence, Alabama and returned to Cookeville in 1973, serving the Sycamore congregation. Their involvement was instrumental in the establishment of the Northeast Church of Christ, where she was a member for over 45 years and affectionately referred to as “Miss Billie” until her passing. She passed from this life as a result of the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 87 on November 9, 2023, in the care of Bethesda Healthcare Center in Cookeville.
Billie Ruth attended Florida Christian College, David Lipscomb College and graduated from Tennessee Bible College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Bible, the first woman to graduate from TBC. After retiring from the Tennessee Department of Human Services, she volunteered as a librarian for the Tennessee Bible College until 2012.
She was a Bible teacher, Christian worker and used by churches as a speaker for women’s programs across the state. With the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision of 1972, she became very active in the Right to Life movement, living to see that decision repealed. She was founding president of Putnam County Right to Life, she actively lobbied policymakers in Nashville and Washington D.C. for reversal of the “Roe” decision, advocating for higher, moral legislation. She was a member of several mission teams in the U.S., the Caribbean, and Russia.
She is survived by son David (Lisa) Hill, grandchildren; Mallory Huddleston (Jonathan), Pate Hill, Tyler Hill and Lane Hill. She is also survived by four great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Malcolm Hill, daughter Tammi Ruth Hill and son Victor Malcolm Hill, a sister and brother-in-law Mildred and J.T. Thurman of Tampa, Florida.
Hooper, Huddleston, and Horner Funeral Home will be overseeing the arrangements for the visitation and funeral service. The visitation has been scheduled to take place from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, with the funeral service commencing immediately afterward at 2:00 PM on Monday, November 13, 2023. Both the visitation and funeral service will take place in the auditorium of the Northeast Church of Christ, located in Cookeville. The burial arrangements have been made for the deceased to be interred next to her beloved husband in Cookeville City Cemetery. Kerry Duke, Vice-President of Tennessee Bible College, will officiate. Active pallbearers will be Barry Brewer, Adam Farris, Pate Hill, Tyler Hill, Lane Hill, Jonathan, and Rhett Huddleston. Honorary pallbearers faculty and staff of Tennessee Bible College.
The family wishes to thankfully acknowledge all who helped over the past seven years. A special thank you to the “A team” at Bethesda, as well as Carolina Bain, Debbie Garrett, Mary Gore, Wanda Hensley, and Tara White.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to the Mission Fund of Northeast Church of Christ or the Malcolm and Billie Hill Memorial Fund of Tennessee Bible College through Living Links.
