Genevieve Marie (Zielski) Hill, loving matriarch, passed away on October 1, 2024, with devoted family at her side.

She was born to Frank and Mary Zielski on January 15, 1930, and was raised in Ontonagon, Michigan.

Gen attended the Ontonagon Area Schools and graduated in 1948.

Gen was united in marriage to Rudolph "Rudy" Hill on August 11, 1948. She was a loving wife, and they raised four daughters together in Ontonagon. They were married for almost 57 years before Rudy passed in 2005.

Gen worked on the family farm and helped out at her parents' tavern, Lincoln Gardens back in her youth - subsequently named The Candlelight Inn in Ontonagon.

She was employed in 1965 by the Ontonagon Memorial Hospital, starting in the kitchen then working the majority of her employment in Data Processing. She was loyal, dependable and a valuable employee where she retired in 1998. She loved working and prided herself on her ability to perform her duties meticulously. She was recognized as Employee of the Month multiple times and even Employee of the Year! She was very deserving and well-liked by her coworkers. She also enjoyed friendships with multiple coworkers over those 33 years and enjoyed social gatherings with them outside of work.

Mom loved to get dressed up and meet with friends or attend any type of social event, even if it was just going to lunch or dinner. She also enjoyed visits with friends and neighbors at their homes. Many summers she enjoyed fishing on Lake Superior in Rudy's "Brown Cow" boat, with family and friends joining family and friends at the park and campground on Lake Superior. She loved flowers and gardening.

She attended her daughters' and grand children's school and sporting events whenever she could. Supporting her children and grandchildren was very important to her. She was definitely their greatest fan! She was well loved, supportive, and always a joy to be around!

Gen loved her family and spending time with them above all else. She was a loving, caring and generous Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother, as well as being endeared by her extended family, who she loved and cared about very much. She was the center of family gatherings and everyone present could feel her love for them with her precious warm smile, kind words, and priceless hugs.

Gen loved traveling and did so quite extensively with family and friends. She was always up for a new adventure and visited Hawaii and multiple areas of the United States. She was able to visit Mexico and multiple countries in Europe, including Poland, of her parent's roots, and Greece, which she reminisced about most often as a travel highlight.

She was very well spoken, an avid reader, writer, and her motto was always "learn all you can". When she started school in Ontonagon, she only spoke Polish, so she was very proud of being able to learn and recite her line for a school Christmas program when she was only in kindergarten, which was to the delight and surprise of her teacher. From there she collected too many books to count over the years and probably read every one of them. She often signed up for night classes at the school so she could learn something new.

Over the years Gen was actively involved in her community and various groups in Ontonagon, which included but are not limited to the Holy Family Catholic Church, the Historical Society, volunteered for the Tourist Information Center, VFW auxiliary, 4-H and Girl Scouts to name a few. She also supported her employer OMH, throughout her employment and participated in most hospital related activities. She was an active league bowler and had high score recognition in the local newspaper many times. She was also an avid cross country skier. She loved music and dancing and would attend polka events in the Copper Country with friends over the years.

Gen stayed in contact with classmates and was always involved with reunions of any kind. Keeping in contact with and being with family, friends and classmates was very important to her.

This is only a brief summary of the life of a beautiful soul. If you were privileged enough to know her, you were very blessed.

Gen was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Mary Zielski, infant daughter Bonita Hill, grandson David Black, husband Rudy Hill, dear friend Robert Wiitla, son in law Samuel Leonard and numerous family members, friends and classmates.

Gen is survived by her four daughters: Imogen Black, Ellen Leonard, Sarah (James) Johnson and Karen Solberg (Ken Kolitsch). Her grandchildren: Samatha (Brent) Myers, Joel (Jamie) Leonard, Crystal Stone (Michael Selders), Jesse Black, Steve Solberg (Tammy Miller), Alyssa Solberg and Ryan Solberg. Great grandchildren: Mason Myers, Keagan Myers, James Leonard, Amelia Leonard, Caelynn Wilson, Claire Solberg and Phoenix Stone Selders. She was also survived by multiple nieces and nephews.

We are forever grateful to John Cane of Cane Funeral Home, who handled all arrangements with Father Michael Jacobus officiating the service.

Interment was at the Holy Family Catholic Cemetery in Ontonagon.