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Margaret Clara Hessert was born to Louis and Clara Hessert on June 22, 1907 in Decatur, Indiana, and grew up in Ohio. While studying at University of Wisconsin, Margaret met Palmer Hilty. In 1931, after Margaret’s graduation, the two were married, and that year left for teaching appointments in the Philippines. In their first year in the Islands, Margaret taught freshmen and sophomore students in Catbalogan, the capital of Samar Province. The following year, they were assigned to the municipality of Lingayen in Pangasinan. Palmer worked at the Academic High School there while Margaret worked at the Methodist Mission School.

When Palmer Hilty was offered a fellowship at University of Wisconsin after the 1932-1933 school year, the globetrotting couple returned to the United States via China, Italy, and Germany. During their time in the Midwest, Margaret and Palmer became parents to two children. In 1949, Palmer was offered a position at Washington State College (WSC) as an assistant professor in the English department. At this time, Margaret was also offered employment by WSC as a librarian.

Palmer and Margaret Hilty shared a passion for language arts and literature, which connected them to Jesse Stuart, the former poet laureate of Kentucky, and Herbert Arntson, a prolific author of young adult historical fiction. Arntson was also faculty in the English department at WSC.

After Margaret and Palmer’s divorce, Margaret continued to work as a librarian in the university. After her retirement, she moved to Albuquerque where she lived until her death in 1995.