Leatha Noreen (Wilks) Hildebrandt

Leatha Noreen (Wilks) Hildebrandt passed away at the age of 92 on September 6, 2023 in Pikeville, Tennessee of natural causes.

Born April 26, 1931 in Muskegon Heights, Michigan, she attended Muskegon Height HS and upon graduation married her sweetheart Don Hildebrandt. She and Don started their family while Don served in the Navy for five years. They were blessed with four beautiful children, Marsha, Don Jr., Mike and Brian.

Leatha was fortunate to be a stay at home mother while overseeing the household and raising their children. She also had time to learn oil painting and became quite an accomplished artist. In addition, she enjoyed card games with family and friends and was quite the Bridge player.

Leatha had the opportunity to travel with her husband to different job opportunities both domestically and internationally including Saudi Arabia. Both Leatha and Don were active members in the churches where they lived; with the most recent being the Fruitport Christian Reform church in Michigan.

When Leatha’ s husband Don retired in 1989, he and Leatha moved back from overseas to Houston for a few years and then settled in Crossville, Tennessee before finally ending up in Fruitport, Michigan in 2006. When Don passed away in January of 2016, Leatha returned to Tennessee to live with her daughter Marsha and son-in-law Ken Martin in Pikeville.

Leatha was preceded in death by her brothers Clyde, Lyle and Winston, her sister Blanche, her husband Don, son Michael and daughter Marsha.

Survivors include Leatha’s siblings, Mary Hoffman, Sharon Locricchio and Charles Wilks, her son-in-law Ken Martin, son Don Jr. (Roberta), son Brian (Kelly) sister-in-law Nancy Hilton (Doug), numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Heaven is now a better place with her being home.

Condolences can be made at www.pikevillefuneralhome.com.

Pikeville Funeral Home was entrusted with arrangements.