By Shavonne Walker
shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — Christmas time has been hard for Rowan native Ronald Hill since December 1995. It’s the year his mother, Inez, died following a short battle with ovarian cancer.

Ronald Hill, 73, said by the time the doctors found out his mother had cancer it was too late. She died Dec. 18, a week before Christmas. This year, Ronald wanted to do something to honor her memory and so he gave to the Christmas Happiness Fund.

The Christmas Happiness Fund is a Post-sponsored program that allows the community to contribute donations. The Salvation Army of Rowan County distributes the donations to eligible families.

Each child receives a voucher that can be used to purchase toys and clothing items.

“She loved children and I’m sure she would love to help out the ones who are less fortunate,” Hill said of his mother.

His mother was a native of Gold Hill and was a Sunday school teacher at Trinity Wesleyan Church where Hill still attends.

Inez Hill worked in the mill and returned to school at then Rowan Tech where she received her LPN license and began nursing at the Hefner VA Medical Center. She worked at the VA for 20 years until she retired.

Hill tries to honor his mother’s memory by regularly placing flowers on her grave, but he admits it’s hard during Christmas without her.

“I just wish that everybody who could afford to give because it’s a good cause and there’s a lot of less fortunate people out there,” he said.

Hill and his wife, Yvonne, 68, are raising their 5-year-old granddaughter Gracie.

“She keeps us young,” Hill said of his granddaughter.

Bring contributions to the Salisbury Post, 131 W. Innes St., between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays or mail them to The Salisbury Post Christmas Happiness Fund, P.O. Box 4639, Salisbury, NC 28145-4639.

Make checks payable to the Christmas Happiness Fund and indicate how you wish your donations to be listed.

Today’s contributions are:

• In honor of my dear husband, Art Bolick by Lynn Bolick  $250
• In memory of Mary Julia Honbarger by Bob Honbarger  $100
• In memory of Melvin K. Morgan by Betty Morgan  $100
• For the past year I have been blessed with no trips to the emergency room-hospital, and I want to say thank you to my family for being there for me during my eight trips in 2015 and “standing by” every day in 2016 just in case!  The best way I know to “pay it forward” for blessings received is to bless someone else,  This donation is in honor of my family and memory of my husband, Col. Tommy Trexler by Frances Trexler  $5,000
• In memory of Julia and Dewey Miller by Judy Miller  $20
• In honor of David, William, Will, Reese, Whit, Ruby and John Graham by Julia $150
• In memory of JP Helms by Sally $100
• In honor of Amanda by HoHo  $50
• Jerry Swink  $40
• In memory of H. C. and Mary Burrs by Wib and Julie Manuel  $100
• In memory of Red and Hazel Manuel by Wib and Julie Manuel  $100
• In memory of Maria Manuel and Shelby Bassinger by Wib and Julie Manuel  $100
• In memory of Craig and Kevin Rufty by Bill and Bea Rufty  $50
• In memory of past members and in honor of current members of the Golden Rule Men’s Bible Class of the First United Methodist Church of Salisbury $100
• In memory of Hoytt and Annie Heilig by Donald and Phyllis, Jerry and Diane, Tony and Patty  $300
• In memory of Inez Hill, who left this life 12/18/95 by son, Ronald Hill  $50