Grace Deborah Hiland

Grace D. Hiland, 50, of Princeton died suddenly on Wednesday, December 27, 2007 at home surrounded by members of her loving family. She was born on September 14, 1957 in Waite, Maine, daughter of the late Warren A. Rideout and Marcia (Wheeler) Rideout. She was a graduate of Woodland High School and had completed many additional college courses in business and computer technology. She and her late husband, Thomas E. Hiland, were married for 30 years. They resided in Woodland, Maine, for over 20 years before relocating to Princeton, Maine, for the remainder of their lives. She spent many years as a stay-at-home Mom devoting all of her time to raising her three children: John, Jodi, and Jerry. She dedicated countless hours coordinating the performance schedule for her children (The 3 Js) and traveling with her family to share their music all over the eastern United States. While living in Woodland, she enjoyed giving to her community by organizing the revival of the annual Labor Day festivities. She was well-known for her role as the town clerk and part-time librarian in Princeton, Maine, as well as President of the Princeton Women’s Club. She is well-remembered for her creative town news columns representing Woodland, and later, Princeton, published for many years in The Calais Advertiser. Since 2005, she has been employed as the administrative assistant for Engineering Technologies Incorporated (ETI) of Cutler, Maine. She enjoyed traveling frequently to Nashville to watch her son, Johnny, perform at venues such as The Grand Ole Opry and The Ryman Auditorium. More recently, she enjoyed participating in activities as a member of United Bikers of Maine. She and her son, Jerry, had purchased Harley Davidson motorcycles and enjoyed riding with friends. She was predeceased by her father, Warren Rideout, mother, Marcia Rideout, and her brother, Roderick Rideout, all of Waite, Maine. She was also touched by the untimely death of her beloved husband, Thomas, who she loved dearly. She is survived by her sister Marilyn Curtis and husband Melvin of Richmond, Maine; her three adoring children, John Hiland and wife Kimberly of Nashville, Tennessee; Dr. Jodi Hiland of West Hartford, Connecticut; and Jerald Hiland of Princeton, Maine; and her precious granddaughters, Katherine and Emma Hiland of Princeton, Maine. Her memory will also live on in countless special nieces, nephews, and cousins. Friends and family may gather for remembrance at Mays Funeral Home, 26 Church St., Calais, Maine, on Monday, December 31, 2007 from 6:00-8:00 pm. A memorial service will be held, also at Mays Funeral Home, on Tuesday, January 1, 2008, at 1:00 PM. A graveside gathering will then take place at Princeton Cemetery. A celebration of Grace’s life will be held at their family home at 57 West St. in Princeton immediately following the graveside service.


Cemetery:
Princeton Cemetery
West Street
Princeton, ME 04668 (map/driving directions)



Visitations:
6:00PM to 8:00PM on Monday, December 31st, 2007 at Mays Funeral Home (map/driving directions)



Services:
1:00PM at Mays Funeral Home on Tuesday, January 1st, 2008 (map/driving directions)