Hilda Hornberger

Hilda Louise Hornberger, a Paola area resident died June 12, 2014. Miss Hornberger was the second daughter of George and Alma Alpert Hornberger born on September 20, 1917 on the family farm in the Highland Community area of rural Paola. Hilda attended Highland District 85 country school for eight years and graduated from Paola High School with the Class of 1935. She worked on the family farm for several years during the Great Depression. In 1937 Hilda went to work for the Kansas Forestry Fish and Game Commission in Pratt, Kansas. She received an appointment in 1941 as a Federal Secretary in Washington D.C. at the Pentagon before construction was complete. After working there a number of years, Hilda worked on Capitol Hill in the office of the late Senator Arthur Capper of Kansas, until he retired. She then received an appointment as the Secretary to the Chief Engineer of the National Park Service of the Department of the Interior. In July 1968 Hilda received the United States Department of the Interior Honor Award for Meritorious Service. She was chosen to be one of the hostesses at the Second World Conference on National Parks in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in 1972. Hilda retired to her hometown, Paola, Kansas in 1981 where she was an active member of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees (NARF) and the Highland Ladies Aid. Hilda is preceded in death by her parents and two sisters, Myrna Hornberger of Paola and Mildred Hunter, of Phoenix, Arizona. She is survived by two nieces Carolyn Hislop of Tucson Arizona and DeAnn Hensley of Beech Grove, Indiana and a great niece Rachel Graves and her husband Rick. A memorial has been established in Hilda"s memory. Donations can be sent to the Highland Ladies Aid c/o Loree Gardner 28044 Somerset Rd. Paola, Kansas 66071 She will be dearly missed by family, neighbors and loved ones who cared for her. To share you memories of Hilda or leave a special condolence message, please click the Share Memories button above.