Arthur William Hilt

Arthur William Hilt May 20, 1915 to April 17, 2014 Art was born at home in Kansas City, Kansas on May 20, 1915 to Alfred G. and Amphy T. Hilt during World War I and the years of the horse and buggy and Model T Fords. The roads were mostly dirt, some were brick, gravel, and concrete. He had six brothers; Merritt, Bert, Charley, Alfred Jr., Frankie, Robert and one sister; Alta, lovingly called "Sis". During the depression in the 1930's, Art worked the 40-acre family farm planting corn, raising cattle, and gardening. At that time, Kansas City became known as the "dust bowl" because dust storms were thick and drifting across Kansas. Thousands of heads of cattle were lost due to not having water from the dust storm. In 1935, at the age of 20, Art married Helen Wallace and had a son, Jack. For two years, he worked for Harris Gore, a jewelry department store on 12th and Main, as a delivery man and watchman. The following five years, he worked in heavy construction, bridge construction, grain elevator tanks under pinning buildings and carpenter helper. He then advanced to a carpenter journeyman. Art and Helen divorced. In 1939, Art married Minnie Stuart. They had three sons, Roy Roger, Billy Ray, and Kenneth Lee. In 1944, during World War II, Art was drafted into the Army and stationed at Camp Roberts, California. Art and Minnie divorced in 1945. Art gained custody of his three young children and was given an honorable discharge from the Army. In 1946, Art married Goldie Marie Anderson and lived at 2414 South 12th Street in Kansas City, Kansas. Goldie had two sons, John Elmer and Daniel Eugene. Together they had two sons and three daughters, James William, Patsy Darlene, Carolyn Sue, Edward Lee, and Sandra Kay. Art worked at the Kansas City Terminal as a trouble shooter and performed all the electrical and air-conditioning repairs on the trains. During the great Kansas City flood in 1951, the Union Station became flooded, and Art began his career as a self employed carpenter. He built and sold several houses in Merriam, Kansas, and also owned the City Service Station on Merriam Lane. Art was faithful in taking his family to church and was an active church member. He was an usher, treasurer, deacon, Sunday School Superintendent and teacher. He cheerfully provided his carpentry skills to whatever needed to be done in the church building. In the summer of 1972, Art and Goldie sold their home in Kansas City, bought an Airstream trailer, and headed to Tucson, Arizona. Art felt a calling into the ministry and became an ordained minister in the Assembly of God church. He and his younger family traveled and preached in several churches in Arizona. Eventually, they moved to Phoenix in 1973 and Art continued his self-employment as a carpenter. In 1984, Art and Goldie moved back to Kansas City, Kansas where they remained until 2002. They returned to Phoenix, Arizona where Art and his youngest son, Ed, owned a construction business 2002 to 2006. In 2006, at the age of 91, Art retired. Art and Goldie moved back to Kansas City, Kansas. Art lost the love of his life when Goldie passed away in 2008. Art moved with his oldest daughter, Pat, to Higbee, Missouri where he spent the last few years of his life. He passed from this life into the arms of Jesus on April 17, 2014 at the age of 98 years and 11 months.

Tributes

Arthur William Hilt

May 20, 1915 - April 17, 2014