Doris Hillberg

Doris Maria Hillberg was born November 27th, 1928 in Augsburg, Germany and passed away on October 29th, 2011 after a courageous battle with cancer. She is survived by her son, Norm (Sheryl) Hillberg of Brookings, grandchildren, Chloe and Ethan Hillberg, sister Helen Fritz of Sioux Falls, and many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents Johann and Viktoria (Fischer) Riedel, and a sister Wally Stollberg. Doris had a happy childhood and loved to play soccer, until her home life changed radically when the war began. Her father Johann, a construction worker by trade and for a short time, a professional boxer, was sent off to fight against Russia. Her mother Viktoria, was a housewife, an avid seamstress and devoted to her children. Her eldest sister Wally was married with twin daughters and younger sister Helen was sent to live with a family outside the bombing zone. This left Doris and her mother Viktoria living in the city of Augsburg. Doris told accounts of moving from home to home to avoid the bombing. She also spoke of seeing Adolf Hitler in a parade from a window of her home. She left school after 8th grade to work in a factory to help support her family and the war efforts. Later on, Doris enjoyed her early 20?s with hobbies like roller-skating dancing, cooking, laughing and going out with friends. She relished having a full social calendar. She was full of life and loved to laugh. She met her future husband Kenneth Hillberg, an American soldier stationed in Germany in 1957. They married and moved to the United States. At that time, she changed her name from Viktoria Maria Riedel to Doris Maria Hillberg. They finally settled near Sisseton, SD. They had one son, Norman in 1961. A few years later, she and her son moved to Sioux Falls where she worked at Jim Walter Window Components where she eventually retired in 1990. The birth of her grandchildren, Chloe in 1991 and Ethan in 1995 were the highlight of her life. She spoke of them often and insisted they call her ?Oma?. She adored making Chloe her favorite sour salad and for Ethan, her famous dumplings. She enjoyed having family over for dinners. She took a lot of pride in cooking and her specialties were sauerbraten, dumplings, and homemade buns. She was always up to debate the difference between authentic ?German? food and ?American? food. Doris loved serving big, elaborate dinners and never would let anyone lift a finger to help. She always had an open door and welcomed friends and family for coffee and apple strudel. She was well-known for bringing homemade cookies and cake to her doctors, nurses and pharmacists. Ever the hostess, Doris could be counted on to bring goodies to any function and help in the kitchen for birthdays, holidays and graduations. Even after moving into SouthRidge, she always welcomed her visitors with candy, still being the hostess. Her laughter was infectious and she loved playing jokes. Although her German accent drew many laughs, she was always good natured about the teasing. Her favorite singer was Wayne Newton and spoke often of ?waiting? for him to call. She was an avid follower of the TV show ?Dancing with the Stars? and enjoyed watching old movies and shows like ?Little House on the Prairie?. She was a loyal fan of the Vikings and the German soccer team. She leaves behind her loving son Norm, his wife Sheryl, her beloved grandchildren Chloe and Ethan, her sister Helen, and many nieces and nephews. She always spoke fondly of a few special nieces. Robin Hillberg Folker of Sioux Falls provided her assistance with shopping; Gitti Graf of Augsburg, Germany for her many phone calls and care packages; Nancy Baumgaertner of Sioux Falls for her frequent visits.