Peggy Elizabeth Morris-Hildebrandt

Peggy Elizabeth Morris-Hildebrandt March 14, 1929 – August 10, 2016 Peggy E. Hildebrandt entered into the Presence of her Savior on August 10, 2016, at the age of 87, in Portland, Oregon, from complications related to dementia. She was born in Beverly Hills, California, to Walter R. Foster and Mildred Sowell. Her parents divorced when she was a young child and, in 1939, her mother married Raymond F. Martin. Peggy’s childhood was spent in the Southwest until she was 16, when she moved with her parents to Eugene, Oregon. She graduated from University High School in 1947 and attended the University of Oregon, where she studied art and was a member of Alpha Phi Sorority. In August 1950, Peggy married Bolin Baker Morris of Smith River, Oregon. They had five children. Raised primarily in the Methodist church, Peggy was instrumental in bringing the American Sunday School Union to Smith River, and came to a personal faith in Jesus Christ. She became an avid student of the Bible and had a deep passion for foreign missions. Bolin passed away in October 1964. In 1965, Peggy moved with her children to La Grande, Oregon, to be near her parents. The family attended First Baptist Church, where Peggy taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School at various times. She also led a children’s Good News Bible Club in her home. Young people from the church would occasionally gather with her own teenagers at her home on Sunday evenings for Sings. Peggy married Fred F. Hildebrandt, formerly of La Grande, in May 1976, and they resided in Salem, Oregon. Fred passed away in May 1980. Peggy attended Ichthus Bible Training Center in Salem, Oregon, graduating in 1982. She went on to teach at Ichthus, worked part-time as a bookkeeper at Christian Center in Salem, and spent a summer serving with Youth With A Mission. In 1988, she moved to Hillsboro, Oregon, to be near family. Peggy is survived by her five children: Catherine Anne (Larry) Peters; Elizabeth Jane (Gregry) Robertson; Bolin David (Sharon) Morris; Sharon Rae (J. Roger) Hornbeck; Judith Lee Morris. Also surviving her are 15 grandchildren [Peters: Raymond (Jenny), Melanie (Charles Pinkerton), Justin (Kara), Julie (Richard Brainerd); Robertson: Christin (Alex Molden), Carrie (Brian Bews), Daniel (Ashley), Caitlin (Brian Harris); Morris: Kaelie (Sean Murray), Chelsie (Jonathan Talcott), Drew; Hornbeck: Joshua (Melanie), Shannon, Matthew (Roxanne), Bethany (Clinton Isaak)], three step-grandchildren [Prettyman: Kyle, Kristen, Jacob], and 49 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Bolin, her second husband Fred, and her parents, Raymond and Mildred Martin. A memorial service will be held at Aloha Church of God in Aloha, Oregon, on Saturday, August 27, at 2:00 pm. Officiants will be Rev. J. Roger Hornbeck, Rev. Justin J. Peters, and Rev. Matthew B. Hornbeck. Interment will be at Grandview Cemetery in La Grande, Oregon, on Monday, August 29, at 10:00 am. Autumn Funerals of Tigard, Oregon, is handling arrangements. A memorial page is located at autumncares.com. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to Dementia Society of America, The Bloom Project, or a charity of your choice.