November 15, 1937 — May 1, 2025

Sulphur Springs

Memorial Service for Winona Yates, age 87, of Sulphur Springs, Texas will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, May 16, 2025 at Murray-Orwosky Funeral Home. Ms. Yates passed away at Rock Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation on Thursday, May 1, 2025.

Winona was born in Roscoe, Texas, and was one of 14 children born to Alvin Burton Hillis & Frieda Dorothy Mae Friebel. She married Angus Dwayne Yates on January 15, 2002, and he passed in 2016. She was a retired Store Manager and loved to travel. At one time, she had ridden on a motorcycle from Texas to Canada. She was a doting Grandmother.

She is survived by her daughter, Kimberly Hillis Willingham of Crockett, Texas; son, John Leroy Smith; grandchildren, Adam Ray Vitro, Shawn Lucas Willingham, and Jonmichael Orion Smith; brothers, Joe Roy Hillis, Sr. of Lebanon, Oregon and Bennie Earl Hillis of Scurry, Texas; sisters, Ruby Hillis Atkins of Lake Kiowa, Texas, Neva Hillis Yarbrough of Cedar Hill, Texas, Lennie Hillis Sharrow of Kimball, Michigan, Dorothy Hillis Shields of Lone Oak, Texas, and Minnie Hillis Reagor of Vidor, Texas.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Alvin and Frieda Hillis; grandparents, Cullom Lyhugh Hillis, Gertrude Ward Louis, Friedrich ”Otto” Friebel, Wilhelmine “Minnie” Neumann Friebel; brothers, Henry Lee Hillis, Sr., Alvin “Wade” Hillis, Johney Wayne Hillis, and Rodney Wm. Johnson; sister, Iva Hillis Haren; and grandson, Kevin Michael Vitro.