On Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020, Astrid M. Hilker entered God’s promised gift of eternal glory for all who believe, as she did, in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Astrid was born on March 2, 1926, in Spring Grove, Minn., to Haakon and Manda Johnson. She graduated from Spring Grove High School and attended Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. This is where she met her husband Bill Hilker from New Jersey. In 1947, after they graduated from college, the couple married. Astrid took a position as a school teacher and Bill then graduated from Luther Seminary in St Paul, Minn., in 1951. Together they served parishes in Ames, Spirit Lake, Clarion and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In 1986 Bill and Astrid moved to Spokane, Wash.
Astrid was always involved in numerous church activities. She was proud of her Norwegian heritage. She walked every day and was in wonderful health until just recently. She was a great seamstress, gardener, a wonderful cook, and loved entertaining. God and family were always the most important things in her life. Bill passed away in 2010 and she then moved to Fairwood Retirement Village. She loved her life there. The friends and staff members that she met at Fairwood were all very dear to her.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and her two brothers, Jennings and Paul Johnson. She is survived by three children: Fred and Jean Hilker, Spokane, Jeff and Kae Johnson, Spokane, and David and Beth Hilker, Phoenix, Ariz. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Interment will be at Fairmount Cemetery. A Celebration of Life service will be held at St. Luke Lutheran Church at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the St. Luke’s Seminary fund.
The family would like to extend our deepest gratitude to all those at Fairwood that cared for her with so much love and compassion in her final days. A special thanks to Nurse Karen for being our lifeline in these difficult days.