Obituaries

Hilda Vehik

Photo of Hilda Vehik
Mrs. Hilda Vehik died on May 19, 2011, in Hot Springs, Ark. She was 95 years old. Hilda was a kind and gentle woman whose sheer force of will safely steered her family through the turbulent events of WW II. Hilda was raised on a farm and educated in Viljandi, Estonia, where she met and married Arnold, a veterinarian. Hilda and Arnold had just begun their life together when Communist Russia invaded Estonia. With sons aged 4, 2, and 1, and in advance of the Red Army, Hilda and Arnold fled to Germany, where they lived for five years in displaced persons camps. Despite the harsh reality of their lives in the camps, Hilda was able to create a happy environment for her family, and her photos show her relaxed and smiling, always surrounded by her rowdy little boys. In 1949, they immigrated to the United States and moved to North Dakota. Arnold began his veterinary practice, and they became naturalized American citizens. Hilda moved to Ft. Smith in 1960 and began working for the Social Security Administration. While living in Ft. Smith, Hilda was an active member of St. Luke's Lutheran Church and was an eager volunteer in many civic and community organizations. Hilda was an amazing woman with a sweet, trilling voice, an easy laugh, and a kind heart, who was loved without reservation by children and all animals. She was a gardener with the greenest thumb, a wonderful cook, an excellent seamstress, and an apple-pie baker extraordinaire. Hilda was predeceased by her husband, Arnold, and her son, Rain. She is survived by her sons Jaan and Mart; daughters-in-law Carole, Susan and Joan; grandchildren, Kendra, Shelley, Meredith, Liisa, Adam and Rebecca; and one great-grandchild, Jonah. Graveside services and burial will be held at 12 on Monday, May 23, 2011 at Rose Lawn Cemetery in Ft. Smith, Ark. Arrangements are under the direction of Ruebel Funeral Home, www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.

Published May 22, 2011

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