Cleora Pauline Preece Hisel
My 3rd cousin twice removed, Hugh William Troy Hisel, married Cleora Pauline Preece. Hugh was born October 10, 1914 in Murray, Oklahoma to Hiram Alexander Lawrence Hisel and Ivy Troy, and died June 17, 1983 in Imperial, California. Cleora was born August 3, 1921 in Austin, Texas to Ernest Ray Preece and Cleora Bell Makemson, and died October 19, 2004 in San Diego, California after fighting cancer for more than 30 years.
Cleora and Hugh had six children; daughters Joyce, Shirley, and Mary Lou; sons Hugh, James and Paul. Joyce Georgia was born on November 17, 1936 in Imperial, California. Joyce died October 13, 2005 in San Diego, California and buried in Evergreen Cemetery in El Centro, California. I do not have her siblings’ information.
The following information was taken from her obituary found in the Imperial Valley Press, October 22, 2004.
Cleora lived in Imperial, Texas for about 50 years before moving to San Diego, California. She spent her early married life raising not only her 6 children, but many of her nieces and nephews. While she was raising these many children, she assisted her husband, Hugh, with his harvesting business as a bookkeeper and generally helped him operate the business as well.
She loved to bake pies and everyone loved to eat those pies. She called baking pies her “therapy.” When she could not go to sleep at night, she headed for the kitchen and started baking the most delicious pies that everyone could ever taste. She would give them to family and friends.
She also loved to make quilts and spent many of her hours quilting. Most of her children and grandchildren are the proud owners of those quilts.
At the time of her death, survivors included her daughters, Joyce Jencks of El Cajon, Shirley Ferguson of Otay Mesa and Mary Lou Smith of El Centro; sons, Hugh E. Hisel of San Diego, James Hisel of Victorville, and Paul Hisel of Escondido; brother, Vernon Preece of Imperial Beach; 16 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.