By Morgan Bryce
Editor
One of Opelika’s “beautiful souls” passed away last Monday.
Amelia Elizabeth Hill, 38, was the daughter of Dave and Jean Hill. Her younger sister Kristine was “Ame’s ultimate protector and no. 1 fan.”
Opelika born-and-raised, Ame was a huge Bulldogs fan and actively involved with local organizations like Camp ASCCA and the Exceptional Foundation of East Alabama.
Following Ame’s passing, tremendous waves of love and support for the Hill family have been expressed on social media.
Auburn High School teacher April Halverson was paired with Ame through Auburn University’s Best Buddies program years ago, the beginning of a long and memorable friendship.
“‘Welcome to Best Buddies. Would you like a Buddy? Yes! We only have one more female Buddy and she lives in Opelika. Do you mind traveling to Opelika? Sure I don’t mind and I would love to meet her. Her name is Ame Hill.’ And the rest is history,” Halverson wrote in a reflective Facebook post. “ She will be missed but she will leave behind a legacy that will inspire us all!”
Family friend Christopher Goree described Ame’s funeral taking place on Good Friday as “deeply symbolic” of the person of faith that she was.
“If you are from Opelika then I am certain that Ame touched you in a way that is unshakable. Her faith and love for the Lord never ceased to amaze me and I find it very rewarding that she is renewed and made whole in God’s perfect image,” Goree wrote.
During the last few months, Kristine carefully chronicled her sister’s medical battles on Facebook, sharing after her passing last Monday that Ame’s “hope was now complete.”
“She (has) entered the Kingdom of Heaven. Our hearts are broken, but we find comfort in the knowledge that she has been made whole and perfect, and is worshipping at the feet of her Savior,” Kristine wrote in a March 15 Facebook post. “My mom, dad and I were with her as she took her final breath on this earth, and we know Jesus had her in His arms as she took her first breath in heaven. Thank you all for praying with us through this journey. We have felt your love and support each step of the way.”
Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home helped direct the funeral services for Ame, which were held at First Baptist Church Opelika last Friday. She will be buried in Prattville Memorial Cemetery.
To read Ame’s full obituary, turn to page A13.