Alta Gwendolyn Hill Pearson

Alta Gwendolyn Hill was born in Montfort, Wisconsin, on April 6, 1891. She was the sixth daughter born to John and Mary Ann Hill and was the youngest of eleven children in the family. Like others in her family, Alta pursued a career in education. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and taught English at the Montfort High School. Later, she moved to Beloit and taught at the Beloit Business College.

Photo of Alta seated with her five older sisters

Alta seated front and center with her five older sisters

Alta Hill married Albin Bernard Pearson, and together they had four children—Marianne who was born in 1923, David who was born a year later in 1924, and twins Keith and Kathleen who were born in 1928. Kathleen died in 1943, but the other three siblings went on to live long and productive lives and produced twenty grandchildren for Alta and Albin Pearson.

Alta and Albin were divorced in 1936, and he died just a few years later in Madison on December 3, 1941. Alta died in Dodgeville at the age of 94 on July 29, 1985, and is buried in the Rock Church Cemetery in Livingston.