Yonnie W. Hill, 82, of the Big Cove community, went home to be with the Lord Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015 in a Cherokee Hospital. A native of Cherokee, she was the daughter of the late Stephen and Rachel Tooni Watty and wife of the late Jesse Hill Sr. She was a member of Straight Fork Baptist Church. She was one of the few fluent speakers remaining from the Eastern Band and was a volunteer foster grandparent for the Big Cove Head Start and the New Kituwah Academy. She was a loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother and will be greatly missed.
She was preceded in death by two brothers, Johnny Watty and Anderson Watty; two sisters, Lorene Watty Arch and Winnie Watty Long; one granddaughter, Dani Hill; and one grandson, Timothy Hill.
She is survived by one daughter, Sandra Hill, of Cherokee; four sons, Silvester (Sonny) Hill, Lawrence (Eddie) Hill, Allen (Butch) Hill, Jesse (Jay) Hill Jr., all of Cherokee; one special son, Marty Medina; 11 grandchildren; 20 great grandchildren; one sister, Maybelle Watty of Cherokee; three brothers, Samuel Watty and wife Elsie, Joseph Watty and wife Marie, and Quincy Watty, all of Cherokee; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at 2pm on Thursday, Dec. 3 at Straight Fork Baptist Church. Pastors Charles Ray Ball and James (Bo) Parris will officiate with burial in the Hill Family Cemetery.
Yonnie will be taken to the church at 5pm on Wednesday, Dec. 2 by Crisp Funeral Home to await the hour of service.
Friends of the family will be pallbearers.