paralee earnest hill
1892-1963
Life Story
Early Life and Family Background
Paralee Earnest Hill was born on November 14, 1892, in Scott County, Mississippi, to Thomas Earnest (1860–?) and Fanny Rainey Earnest (1862–?). Raised in a rural environment, she began working at an early age, contributing as a laborer on the home farm, a common expectation for Black girls growing up in Mississippi during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
She completed the 8th grade of elementary school, an educational achievement that placed her above the average level of formal schooling for African American women of her generation in the region.
Marriage and Family Life
Paralee married Elijah Hill (1889–1971) of Newton County. From this union, nine children were born, reflecting both the size and strength of the family she helped sustain:
- Arthur Lee Hill (1914–1984)
- Sylvester Hill (1917–?)
- Francis Hill (1918–1919)
- Alma M. Hill (1920–?)
- Edwena Hill (1921–?)
- Melissa Hill (1923–?)
- Cebrus Nebraska Hill (1925–1966)
- Exie Mae Hill (1929–?)
- Gustava Paralee Hill (1931–2000)
Two of her children preceded her in death. Paralee was consistently described in newspaper accounts as a devoted wife, loving mother, and supportive presence, deeply invested in the education and well-being of her children through her labor, guidance, and financial sacrifice.
Work, Faith, and Community Life
Throughout her life, Paralee balanced household responsibilities with agricultural labor. In 1950, she was listed as keeping house, a designation that reflects her central role in managing family life rather than an absence of work.
She joined Saint John Missionary Baptist Church at an early age and remained a faithful and active member throughout her life. Her obituary notes that she lived as a devoted Christian woman, respected not only within her church but also throughout the surrounding community.
Paralee was also deeply involved in organized civic and women’s work. Newspaper records document her participation in:
- Home Demonstration Club activities, where she contributed to civic improvement and education
- County-level women’s councils, including program presentations and community planning
- Red Cross fundraising efforts, where she was listed among contributors supporting wartime and humanitarian relief
Her work placed her among a network of African American women who quietly but effectively shaped public life through service, cooperation, and leadership during segregation.
Later Years and Death
Paralee Earnest Hill passed away on September 28, 1963. Her death was widely noted for the loss it represented to both church and community. She was remembered as a woman who valued education, faith, civic responsibility, and neighborly kindness.
She is laid to rest at Saint John Missionary Baptist Church graveyard in Newton County, Mississippi, alongside generations of family members and fellow congregants.
Sidebar: Reading Paralee Earnest Hill’s Life in Context
Paralee Earnest Hill’s life illustrates the often-unrecorded leadership of Black women in rural Mississippi. While her name appears in newspapers primarily through club work, church activities, and community service, these brief mentions represent a much larger reality: women like Paralee sustained families, churches, and civic institutions through unpaid labor, organizational skill, and moral authority. Her legacy lives not only through her descendants but through the institutions she helped strengthen.
Resting Place
Saint John Missionary Baptist Church Graveyard
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1900 Federal Census
- 1910 Federal Census
- 1920 Federal Census
- 1930 Federal Census
- 1940 Federal Census
- 1950 Federal Census
- U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
- The Newton Record, Paralee Hill Obituary, Wed, Oct 09, 1963 ·Page 9
- Scott County Times, Arthur Lee Hill Obituary, Wed, Dec 12, 1984 ·Page 7
- The Newton Record, Elijah L. Hill Obituary, Wed, Sep 01, 1971 ·Page 10
- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
- U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
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