Jane Elizabeth Hilliard

Jane Mauk Hilliard, 93
In 1957, the editor of the Portales News-Tribune, Gordon King Greaves, wrote these words about Jane Mauk Hilliard:
The new president of New Mexico State Chapter
P.E.O. Sisterhood is an accomplished lady
with a smile and a cheerful word for all, and
because of vision and faith finds pleasure in
her work. She has made a rich contribution to
Portales civically and socially. She is a devoted
wife, mother, daughter and friend.
The family of Jane Mauk Hilliard is pleased to receive visitors at Wheeler Mortuary on Tuesday evening, February 12 and Wednesday evening, February 13th from the hours of 3-6pm. The funeral service, conducted by the Rev. Michael Brunk, is scheduled for Thursday, February 14 at 2pm at the First United Methodist Church of Portales. Interment will follow in the Portales Cemetery and a reception in the First Methodist Fellowship Hall for all family and friends will conclude the day's events.

Pall Bearers will be Lee Hilliard, Phillip Wayne George, Phillip Wayne George II, John Gentry, Raymond Kobernick, Brett Leach, Jerry Everhart and David Raybould. Honorary Pall Bearers will be Collin Hilliard, Cyrus McKnight Jr., David Stone, Barry Stone, Joe Marion Blair, Bobby Borden, Vern Witten, Gerald Crozier, Glenn Terry Ezell, Howard Perry, Gayle Ferguson, Richard Hood, Steve Howl, Harry Jordan, Bob Morgan, Rick Uhlig, Bill Wahlman, Orlando Ortega, Keith Hilliard, Ernie Lucero, Grady Jenkins, Buck Wilson, Dennis Darrow, David Myers, Stuart Ingle, Stephen Quinn and other devoted friends and family.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to the J.K. and Jane Hilliard Undergraduate Scholarship in History of the Eastern New Mexico University Foundation, Station 8, 1500 S. Ave. K, Portales, NM 88130.

Jane Elizabeth Mauk Hilliard was a native New Mexican and lived in Portales almost all of her life. She was born in Tucumcari on the 23rd of October, 1919 and died at her family home on February 8, 2013. She was the daughter of the late John Virgil and Ida Moss Mauk ("Sister Ida"), pioneer residents, and the niece of G. W. and Florence Carr, who came to Portales in 1903. The Mauks were a pioneer ranching family in West Texas (Hereford - Deaf Smith County) and in New Mexico (near the now extinct town of Hudson) and came to Portales to establish the Carr Lumber Company in 1920-1921 in partnership with the Carrs. It remained a vital business firm in Portales for almost a half century. Jane created a strong legacy of community commitment that her family initiated many years ago. For most of her life (1924-2013), she resided in the 1910-era historic "Mauk Home". Family and friends were always assured of a gracious welcome in that handsome old house. Jane was honored as Roosevelt County Pioneer of the year in 2005.

A 1938 graduate of Portales High School, Jane also attended Denver University and transferred to Lindenwood College (now University), St. Charles, Missouri, from which she received her B.A. degree in 1942 with a double major in English and history and a minor in political science. In 1970, Jane received her Master's degree in history from Eastern New Mexico University, alongside her sons, John and Kent, who also received advanced degrees in that same commencement ceremony. After her graduation from Lindenwood, Jane taught for a number of years at the junior high school in the Portales Public School System. Later in life, she taught college history and political science courses at Eastern New Mexico University.

Jane married John Kent Hilliard on June 28, 1943 in Portales. The late Mr. Hilliard
(d. March 5, 1991), was a member of another pioneer family, his parents being the late Madison Monroe and Rebecca Brown Hilliard. Jane and J.K. were the proud parents of three sons: John Mauk Hilliard, retired college administrator, Lehman College, New York; Dr. W. Kent Hilliard, D.C., owner of Hilliard Chiropractic Center, Portales; and James L. Hilliard, owner of Sundance Dental Lab, Albuquerque, with two grandsons, Dr. C. Collin Hilliard, D.C., Austin, Texas, and Dr. W. Lee Hilliard, D.C., Portales.

Throughout their shared lives, Jane and her husband, J.K., shared an avid interest in antiques, furniture, and collectibles, coins, stamps, and books, with a special emphasis on New Mexico and the Southwest. Jane's reading, a great love in her life which led to many years of her delivering book review programs, was greatly curtailed because of the onset of Sjögren's Syndrome a number of years ago. Despite this handicap, Jane maintained her devoted interest in the many groups in which she was a member, and her ongoing fascination with the pursuit of family history and genealogical research.

Weaving together all her many avocations, the richest and strongest thread in Jane's life was her love for people. Her extensive involvement with her service to a multitude of local, state and national organizations was a direct reflection of this lifelong love. Jane's memberships include the following: life member of First United Methodist Church and United Methodist Women (Senior member having belonged to all three of the successive Portales Methodist Church buildings - 90 year member); P.E.O. Sisterhood, Chapter R (66-plus year member and State President of the New Mexico State Chapter - 1957-58); Beta Sigma Phi, Pi Master Chapter (Charter Member 1947-2013 66-plus years, President - 1949-51); United Daughters of the Confederacy (New Mexico State Division President, 1963-64 and President, Ellen W. Jones Chapter, Portales, 1978-80, 1961-present - 50 year plus member); Portales Woman's Club
(65- plus year member; President, 1966-67); Daughters of the American Revolution, El Portal Chapter - Clovis/Portales; Colonial Dames XVII Century, Daniel Wing Chapter, Amarillo, Texas; Daughters of the American Colonists, Alibates Chapter, Amarillo, Texas; Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims, New York Branch; the Society of the Descendants of Colonial Clergy; Roosevelt County Democratic Women; New Mexico R.L.C.A. Auxiliary; National Poetry Society; Friends of the Library, Portales (Charter Member); numerous educational organizations and many other organizations.

Jane Mauk Hilliard was also a proud life member of many other distinguished heritage and lineage institutions including: The Jamestown Society; Flagon & Trencher (Order of Colonial Tavern and Innkeepers); Order of Americans of Armorial Ancestry; National Order of the Blue and Gray; Hereditary Order of the Descendants of Loyalists and Patriots of the American Revolution; Daughters of Colonial Wars; US Daughters of 1812; Continental Society Daughters of Indian Wars; Daughters of the Republic of Texas; Dames of the Court of Honor; Order of the Crown of Charlemagne in the USA; The Huguenot Society of America; and The Colonial Daughters of the Seventeenth Century.

Of her many accomplishments, Jane was exceedingly proud of her involvement with, and contribution to, the adoption by the State of New Mexico of the official salute to the state flag which reads: "I salute the flag of the state of New Mexico, the Zia Symbol of perfect friendship among united cultures". Beginning in the mid 1950's, Jane Mauk Hilliard and her stalwart compatriots of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (Ellen W. Jones Chapter) in Portales worked tirelessly to induce the State Legislature to adopt this splendid salute. Their efforts bore fruit when, on March 13, 1963, the 26th N.M. Legislature adopted this salute which is now in widespread use in public and private meeting venues and institutions throughout the Land of Enchantment. New Mexico Governor Jack M. Campbell was an enthusiastic advocate of the efforts of the ladies of the Portales UDC. Jane and all the ladies who were instrumental in this wonderful initiative were honored in following years by a resolution of the 48th Legislature in 2008. In her private office in the historic old Mauk home, Jane displayed the text of the 2008 Legislative Resolution signed by speaker Ben Lujan which spoke glowingly of her contributions: "Her extensive involvement with and service to a multitude of local, state, and national organizations is a direct reflection of a lifelong commitment and dedication to the citizens of Portales, Roosevelt County and New Mexico." Also on the walls of her office are proclamations honoring her achievements from the Honorable Orlando Ortega, Mayor of Portales; US Senator Tom Udall; US Senator Jeff Bingaman; and a framed New Mexico State Flag which flew over the New Mexico State Capitol and was presented to Jane by the New Mexico Legislative Council. Jane also was delighted to display a plaque presented to her in honor of her 90th Birthday by NM Governor Bill Richardson in 2009.

In October of 2009, the City of Portales and Roosevelt County dedicated a splendid granite monument on the grounds of the County Court House to Jane and to all the ladies of the UDC who were instrumental in achieving official acceptance of the salute to the New Mexico flag.

In addition, Jane's commitment to people has been channeled into a special college scholarship, "the J.K. and Jane Hilliard History Scholarship," which was established in 1991 through the Friends of Eastern Foundation. In 2002, John Mauk Hilliard established an endowed Scholarship, "the J.K. and Jane Hilliard Scholarship in Humanities and History" at Lehman University in New York. In announcing the scholarship, Hilliard, who was Administrator-Director of Testing, Scholarships and Awards, stated: "I wanted to do something to honor my parents and commemorate their love of history, literature and lifelong devotion to community service."

For many years, Jane served in Scouting, DeMolay, and many youth and school activities in the interest of her children and grandchildren.

Jane always found time for entertaining her family and friends. She was well-known as a gracious hostess and excelled as a superb cook.

She received numerous honors and is listed in a number of anthologies, the most recent of which is the Bicentennial Edition of Noteworthy Americans and Community Leaders.

Jane owned and operated a rental property business, Hilliard Properties, and was a longtime member of the Roosevelt Chamber of Commerce, and was enthusiastically devoted to the Portales community.

The family wishes to acknowledge the wonderful help Jane received for many years with her personal and business affairs from her dear friends: Raymond Kobernick, Olaya Espinoza and Brenda Wiggins-Gonzales.

Jane was preceded in death by her husband of 48 years, John Kent Hilliard, her beloved parents and her cherished Carr uncle and aunt. She was also preceded in death by one of her closest and dearest friends and neighbors, renowned Portales High School teacher, Ona Marie Dodd, who was profoundly influential in the rearing of Jane and J.K.'s sons. Jane was preceded in death by her husband's seven siblings, her deeply-loved Hilliard brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: ruett, Brooks, Collin, Gladys, Grace, Mary Lena, Martha and their spouses. Jane is survived by her sons John Mauk, William Kent and his lovely wife, Donna Kay, James Letton and his delightful wife Mary Fran, and by her grandsons Collin, and Lee and his wonderful wife Jen. She is also survived by her cousin Nancy Lee Mauk English of Lubbock, TX and by a number of nieces and nephews: Adelia DeVault, AZ; Melissa Katterich, Irving; Harriett Damon, El Paso; Jean Smith, Norfolk, VA; Caturia Watson, Clovis; Margaret Parker, Lubbock; Rebecca Kirkpatrick, Dallas; Keith Hilliard, Albuquerque; Richard Keene, Boulder City; Kay Glenn, Portales; Jeff Hilliard, Avondale, PA; Bonnie Cross, Clovis; Judy Parks, Bryan; Truett Lynn Hilliard, Odessa; Gracie Bennett, Salton City, CA.
Arrangements are under the direction of Wheeler Mortuary of Portales. 575-356-4455, wheelermortuary.net