Muriel Hiller with her six sons at her 90th birthday celebration
Arlene Banfield
In September, Muriel Hiller celebrated her 90th birthday. A host of family and friends gathered in the Chianti Room at the PebbleCreek clubhouse amidst a venue of hot pink and orange balloons, to cheer and applaud Muriel on the unforgettable celebratory occasion.
Joining Muriel on this special day were her six sons, three daughters-in-law, and two grandchildren. Folks traveled from as far away as Chicago, Michigan, Ohio, and New Jersey. In the mix was a friend of over 72 years from Morristown, N.J., where Muriel lived and grew up.
Muriel retired in 1989 after 30 years employment with AT&T and moved to Scottsdale with her husband Filmore, better known as Fil. She and Fil traveled the world together and enjoyed life in Scottsdale until his death in 2006. In 2007 she left Scottsdale and moved to PebbleCreek.
Upon moving from New Jersey to Arizona and feeling alone and far away from her best friends and family in New Jersey, Muriel set about to remedy the situation. Together with another woman, Muriel decided to form a group where women of color could gather for fun and fellowship. That club officially registered in the state of Arizona in 1992 as Sisters of the Valley (SOV). SOV, with a membership of almost 300 members, meets quarterly and consists of several interest groups. These smaller subgroups of women meet monthly to socialize and enjoy each other’s company. These include two book discussion groups, bible study, lunch and dinner groups, theatrical and movie groups, traveling sisters, bridge players, and a host of other interest groups.
Muriel says, though at first reluctant to leave her beloved Scottsdale home, she loves all that PebbleCreek has to offer. As soon as she moved here she became a Kare Bear in Unit 58, joined the Democratic Club where she was acting secretary, and the Just folks Association in which she was a member of its Executive Board. One of the best parts of being in this community is her surrounding family who followed her to Arizona in later years. Her elder sister, Ethel (Connie) Montgomery, lives just a few doors away. Muriel says she feels blessed to have four of her five Arizona nieces living in the PebbleCreek community. Another niece lives in Surprise.
Despite her age, Muriel continues to maintain an incredibly active life. She remains a member of the groups cited above and two years ago added membership in the PebbleCreek Diversity group. She is also Corresponding Secretary of The Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE) and an active member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Litchfield Park where she has participated in several ministries since 2007. When not busy with these groups or attending other social gatherings, Muriel enjoys solving word games or reading a good book.
Longevity thrives in Muriel’s family; she has an older sister in Georgia who is 94.