James S. Hilander

The Rev. Dr. James Swen Hilander, age 99, Town of Liberty Grove, passed away on April 22, 2025.  He was born on May 16, 1925, the son of Elmer J. and Annie (Bunda) Hilander, in the Town of Liberty Grove, Door County, Wisconsin.  Jim attended Wildwood Grade School, and two years at Ellison Bay Junior High School.  He then attended Gibraltar High School for two years and was a 1943 graduate.

In September he enrolled as a pre-theolog at Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.  His studies were interrupted when he entered the U.S. Army, Infantry, in May of 1945.  His basic training was in Fort Hood, Texas.  His unit moved to Fort Ord, California, enroute to the Philippines.  But Jim and a few other men remained at the base where he worked with the Medics and in a typing pool.  Eventually he became a member of the Sixth Army Band, played sousaphone, drove a truck transporting band instruments, and served as a Supply Sergeant with a T 4 rank until his honorable discharge in Fall, 1946.  Jim returned home and re-enrolled in Moravian College in January 1947.

His interests were in Moravian Missions and serving rural churches.  He graduated with a B.A. in English from Moravian College in 1948.  He enrolled in Moravian Theological Seminary, Bethlehem in Fall, 1948.  He completed his middler seminary year at Louisville Presbyterian Seminary because of the number of rural church courses offered.  He completed a summer of courses at Cornell College, Ithaca, New York,  which enabled him to accept an assignment as student pastor in a small-town parish with a pastor noted for his rural church interests.  He returned to Bethlehem for his third Seminary year, graduating in 1951 with a Master of Divinity Degree.  His thesis was entitled Agricultural Missions in the Moravian Church.

Jim’s interest in music continued for decades, beginning with grade school, playing cornet/trumpet in school bands, playing in a ‘German” band of five cousins (named The Hungry Five by his aunt Leona Berns) while in high school.  He played trumpet with Easter Morning Dawn Service trombone bands in Bethlehem.  He enjoyed singing with friends in the Moravian College Quartet and the Moravian Seminary Quartet, as well as in a Quartet while in Louisville.

Jim was ordained as a deacon in the Moravian Church, Northern Province, on November 18, 1951, in the Sister Bay Moravian Church.  He had accepted a call to serve as pastor of the Wisconsin Rapids Rural Parish, beginning in late November, serving the four country churches of Kellner, Rudolph, Saratoga and Veedum.  During the seven years in which he served there, he oversaw renovation of three of the churches, the division of the parish into two parishes, and the building of two parsonages.  During his years serving in the Rural Parish Jim married Doretta Hanson, who became his active partner in ministry and lifelong secretary. A loving couple, James and Doretta recently celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary.

Following his work there, he accepted a call to the Upper Michigan parish of the Daggett Moravian Church and the Menominee Moravian Church.  Jim was ordained a presbyter while serving in Michigan.  During his three years there, he oversaw renovation of the Daggett church building and the building of their Christian Education Building, and the building of the Menominee Moravian Church. 

In Summer of 1961 Jim accepted a call to serve the London Moravian Church (Cambridge, WI), on a half time basis.  He also began graduate work at UW-Wisconsin, Madison, and earned a Master’s degree in Rural Sociology.  After two years he retired from serving the London congregation when he began studies toward a Ph D.  Jim and Doretta moved to Madison, Doretta worked at the university, and the couple welcomed their daughter, Britt.

When he completed course work for a Ph D in Sociology and a Minor in Urban and Regional Planning, he accepted a position at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, in Sociology, and in Urban and Regional Planning, beginning in September 1966.  Jim and Doretta and daughter Britt enjoyed living in Virginia, and son Swen was born in Roanoke.       

Jim could not resist accepting the offer of a position in the Department of Sociology at his Alma Mater and the family moved to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in December, 1968.  Jim served for many years as Chair of the department.  He completed several demographic studies for the Moravian denomination, served on several committees, and as head of the Seminary Alumni Update Committee.  He twice was awarded the Timothy Breidegam Award, a student-voted honor.  He retired in 1996 as Professor Emeritus.  In late May 2004 Jim and Doretta moved permanently back to the family farm in Door County, to live in the home where Jim was born.  That was the beginning of more than twenty happy years, a time to renew old friendships with former school friends and longtime neighbors.

Jim’s Swedish grandparents, Sven and Helena Hilander, established the farm in 1866.  Over the years Jim’s parents had maintained the farm, adding acreage and developing North Star Dairy and cherry orchards.  Jim enjoyed his boyhood on the farm.  He spent weekend mornings accompanying his father to deliver milk and cream bottles to homes and businesses in the village of Sister Bay.  Jim and Doretta continued the cherry orchard, personally working with their children throughout the years.

As proud as he was of his Swedish heritage, Jim was equally proud of his Bohemian family, his Grandmother Mary Bunda, and all his Bunda, Berns and Jischke relatives.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Lloyd (Grace) Hilander, his sisters, Glenna (Lawrence) Reinhard, and Helen (Chester) Linden; his twin infant children, Timothy and Julie; his sisters-and brothers-in law, Raymond (Joan) Hanson, and Caroline (Robert) Treutel.

Jim was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He is survived by his wife, Doretta (Hanson) Hilander; his daughter, Britt Hilander, son-in-law David Stuart and their children, Alexander, Owen and Swen; and by his son, Swen Hilander, daughter-in-law, Jenifer and their daughter, Ilse.  He is also survived by several nieces and nephews, and by many cousins and friends.

Jim also is survived by many of his Swedish cousins.  He was pleased to meet them in Sweden in the 1990s.  Several of them visited Jim and Doretta at the farm during the early 2000s and attended Hilander family reunions at the farm.  All of them are direct descendants of Johanna, one of the sisters of Jim’s grandfather Sven Hilander.

The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to the wonderful Carers who helped Jim to fulfill his wish to remain in his childhood home, and to Unity Hospice for their skillful and compassionate care during recent weeks.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 27th at the Sister Bay Moravian Church, followed by a coffee and dessert reception. Visitation will be held in Fellowship Hall from 1:00 p.m. until time of service.  Interment in Sister Bay Moravian Cemetery at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, April 28th.  Memorials may be given to Sister Bay Moravian Church or to Board of World Mission, 1021 Center Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018.

Casperson Funeral Home & Cremation Services, LLC in Sister Bay, Wisconsin is assisting the Hilander family. Expressions of sympathy, memories, and photos of James may be shared with his family through his tribute page at www.CaspersonFuneralHome.com.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of James S. Hilander, please visit our floral store.