Rogna Elizabeth Hilton has gone home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, at the age of 82, just one month shy of turning 83. She was born Rogna Peterson in Chicago, IL, where her father served in the Navy. A few years later the family moved to Eudora, AR, where Rogna spent all of her youth. She was an avid reader and loved to play the piano—particularly hymns. Her father insisted that she attend college after graduating from Eudora High School.
It was at Ouachita Baptist University that she met her sweetheart, Kenneth Hilton. After Ken’s graduation in 1958, they were married and quickly deployed to Germany where they began their lives as a career military family. In August of 1959, she gave birth to Robbie. Six years later, after returning to the States for a stint at Fort Benning in Columbus, GA, she gave birth to Kerry in 1964 and then Kenny one year later.
Rogna loved her Lord and made sure that every week her boys were dressed properly and in Sunday school. She was a strong woman of faith which she leaned on when Ken was deployed to Vietnam in 1966 and back again in 1969. A year after Ken retired from the military in 1979, Rogna packed up the house in Georgia and followed Ken to Houston, TX, where he began a new career and eventually a family business. Rogna was always involved in the local church and committed many thousands of hours to serving others: Friendship Tuesday, Children’s Choir, Lunch Bunch, Grief Share, just to name a few. One of her favorite ways to serve others was to cook, and hardly was there a meal where a large spread wasn’t offered, including her signature Slurp Rolls.
Rogna claimed Psalm 37:4 as the verse for her life: "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Those left to mourn her death are sons Robbie, spouse Robin; Kerry, spouse Susannah; and Kenny, spouse Cathy. Rogna was blessed by six grandchildren: Jacob, James, Elizabeth, Kenneth, Skye, and Travis; as well as Jacob’s wife, Jackie, and Elizabeth’s husband, Devon. She prayed fervently for God’s blessing on each one of them.
Her family was her heart’s desire.
*All obituaries are submitted by family and friends of the deceased.
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