Dates
Frances Wheat Hill was born to Ora and Gus Wheat on July 17, 1926, in San Antonio, Texas. She died on November 13, 2025, in San Angelo. She was pre-deceased by her parents; her husband, Grady Hill; brother, Gus D. Wheat, and step-daughter, Gerri Gillette. Surviving her are her son, Joe Hill of Andrews; daughter Margaret Henderson of Hillsborough NC; and step-daughter Donna Prawdzik of Irving.
Frances grew up on the Wheat family ranch in Edwards County; raised her family in Veribest; and retired to Christoval, Texas. One of her proudest memories was of her father calling her to come home one fall from the University of Texas to help him work cattle; all the men were off to World War II at the time. While living in Dallas as a school teacher, she once herded loose cattle into a yard, closing the gate and earning the gratitude of the truck driver who lost his load. Her livestock herding stopped at age 89, when she unsuccessfully tried to stop a loose horse trotting down the street in Christoval.
Long a community volunteer for her church, school, and local public functions, she was the first woman elected to the Veribest School Board, by write-in vote. She was a leader in 4-H, teaching kids to sew, cook, and take photos, and was also active in the Home Demonstration Club for over fifty years. Over the years she held various volunteer positions, serving as an election judge and on the boards of the Christoval Water District and Volunteer Fire Department.
Frances organized the initial photography competition within the annual San Angelo Fat Stock Show and Rodeo. Content with the daily events of farm and ranch life, her photography frequently captured the beauty of wildflowers, birds, livestock, windmills, and other rural scenes. Along the way she raised many orphaned lambs and kid goats, feeding them by bottle and letting them spend their first few days in the warmth of cardboard boxes kept in the kitchen.
Productive with her needlework even after she stopped making all of her own clothes, Frances continued to actively quilt, knit, and crochet into her 90’s. She made many quilts for wounded veterans and knitted caps for chemo patients, as examples of her practical generosity.
The family wishes to thank her many caregivers from over the years, members of Team Frances, for enabling her to stay in her home for as long as possible. The staff of Sagecrest and Gentiva Hospice offered their considerable compassionate support in the last few years of her life. Her supportive neighbors and members of the Methodist Churches in Veribest and Christoval were also important to her throughout her life. We also acknowledge how important the family of Don and Anita Spiller has been to our mother over the years.
A graveside service will be held Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at 10 am in Christoval Cemetery with a lunch for family and friends to follow at Christoval Methodist Church.
The family asks that memorials be made to the Christoval Methodist Church, Volunteer Fire Department, or Community Center, or to the Concho Valley Home for Girls.