Brave, loyal, humble Granger hero: Henry Earl Hill

Memorial Day Tribute: Remembering Henry Earl Hill

On this Memorial Day, we honor the life and legacy of Henry Earl Hill, a native son of Granger, Utah, whose courage, devotion, and quiet strength left a lasting imprint on both his country and his community.

Born on September 19, 1894, just steps from what is now Valley Fair Mall, Earl was the fifth child of Betsy Ann Bawden and Alexander Joseph Hill. Raised in a humble one-room home near the Jordan River, Earl grew up amidst hardship, including frequent canal floods and the heartbreak of early family losses. Despite these challenges, the Hills built a life rooted in faith, perseverance, and hard work.

Earl answered the call to serve during World War I, enlisting in the U.S. Army on February 2, 1918. He trained at Camp Doniphan before shipping out with Battery C, 128th Field Artillery, 35th Division. Earl served with honor in some of the war’s fiercest campaigns—the Vosges Mountains, St. Mihiel, Argonne Forest, and the Verdun Front—earning the rank of First Class Private. After nearly a year overseas, he returned to Granger in 1919, exchanging his uniform for overalls and resuming life on the family farm.

He cared for his widowed mother, fulfilled an LDS mission in the Southern States, and eventually married Mary “Mae” Alta Bunker, raising three children in the same soil he had once helped till. Like many of his generation, Earl sought stability through hard labor—working at the Utah Copper Company (Kennecott) for 25 years. When he retired in 1962, he sold the family farm and built a new home still located in what is now West Valley City.

Known for his gentle demeanor, powerful singing voice, and unwavering integrity, Earl Hill represents the very best of what Memorial Day asks us to remember—not only the soldier, but the citizen who returned home and kept serving through quiet deeds, devoted service, and lifelong love for his country, family, and faith.

Today, we salute Earl Hill and all local heroes who stood for something greater than themselves. May their names live on in gratitude and honor.