Kathleen Hillner

Kathleen (Kathy) Annette Hillner went home to be with the Lord on Monday, April 14, 2025, at the age of 65, following a brief battle with cancer. 

Kathy Anderson was born to Alan Anderson and Elizabeth Hudson on January 5, 1960, in the little town of Miami, Arizona. Her early life was marked by frequent moves due to her father's career as a coal miner. Kathy and her brothers relocated 18 times before she turned 20. 

Driven by a passion for missions, Kathy enrolled with New Tribes Mission. After a few years of Bible school, she met Gary Hillner in August 1981, while both were training to become missionaries. Following a brief courtship, they married on January 23, 1982. In 1983, Gary and Kathy moved to San Antonio and joined a very small local church called Believers Fellowship. Four years and two kids later, they headed to Mexico as missionaries, and while there, they welcomed their third child. Back in the States, their family continued to grow, with five more children joining them. 

Kathy loved and served her savior with all her heart, dedicating her life to ministering to her family and church. The Lord was an ever-present fixture in her life, and Kathy spent much of her time with her church. Whether it was leading a small group, one-on-one discipleship, singing in the choir, serving on the missions committee, or countless other ministry opportunities, Kathy could be found at Believer’s Fellowship with a welcoming smile on her face and joy in her heart. 

To know Kathy was to love Kathy. She always said, “If you want to come see me, come anytime. If you want to come see my home, make an appointment,” and that is because hospitality is where she thrived. She loved to have people, especially her dear friends, in her home sitting around her dining room table, drinking a cup of coffee and talking about the Lord and other people's lives. She never knew a stranger, and she would eagerly share her eternal hope with anyone who would listen. The hope she clung ever so tightly to in her last five weeks on this earth.

Kathy was preceded in death by her father, Alan Anderson; her parents-in-law, Herbert and Juanita Hillner; and her first and ninth babies. She is survived by her mother, Elizabeth Hudson; her devoted husband of 43 years, Gary; her eight loving children: Joel (Nicole), Bethanne (Zach), Daniel (Whitney), Susanna (Zac), Jesse (Samantha), Katy (Nathaniel), Victoria, and Megan. She was a beloved "Mamaw" to her 16 grandchildren, whom she loved immensely: Alexa, Aiden, McKenzie, Jackson, Ari, Abigail, Kyle, Barrett, Kian, Luke, Ellie, Adalynn, Eleanor, Jesse, Leanne, and Judah. She also leaves behind her four brothers, Alan (Karen), Ken (Cindy), Tim (Tina), and Pete (Suzanne); her brother-in-law, Ken Hillner (Debbie); and 13 nieces and nephews. 

A memorial service will be held at 10 am on April 26, 2025, at Believers Fellowship in San Antonio, Texas.