"HillMark" Sterling silver Rosary, ca. 1940s/1950s?

[anp1215]

About a year ago, my grandma moved in with my uncle and we received some of her things to store for her, including her big jewelry case. I was looking through it yesterday and found a big Rosary, marked “HillMark Sterling” on the back of the crucifix. It’s made up of purple glass beads with little end caps on each bead. The center is the Sacred Heart on one side and Mary Queen on the other side with the Infant Jesus.

I looked up online and found a few that look to be similar.
Kind of looks like this neworleans.craigslist.org/jwl/3044078006.html
only like I the beads on this are purple. Also the beads only have one cap.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone else had heard of this company or might have more info. on it/the Rosary.

I don’t really want to ask my grandma because I don’t want her to think I’m angling to keep it or something. Though I know she would give it to me if I asked. I’m the only practicing Catholic left in the family, unfortunately.

 

[aicirt]

Did you look on ebay? Also google Antique or Vintage Hillmark rosaries, There are those who collect rosaries and others who sell old ones. Good luck.

Personally, because you are the only practicing Catholic in your family, I would not hesitate to ask Grandma for the rosary. I think it is lovely because it is something you would be using daily and when you use it, you’ll be thinking of her. Tell her that. I would want my grandaughter to pray for me and remember me. She may be waiting for you to say something.

 

[Rhuarc]

This may be a bit off topic but I always like to think of religious objects that have value (like say a valuable rosary in your case) as being Mary’s rosary or Jesus’s crucifix. So I never become object oriented, so my two crucifixes, rosaries, and my variety of necklaces all belong to the Lord and his Mother. lol

 

[anp1215]

Did you look on ebay? Also google Antique or Vintage Hillmark rosaries, There are those who collect rosaries and others who sell old ones. Good luck.

Personally, because you are the only practicing Catholic in your family, I would not hesitate to ask Grandma for the rosary. I think it is lovely because it is something you would be using daily and when you use it, you’ll be thinking of her. Tell her that. I would want my grandaughter to pray for me and remember me. She may be waiting for you to say something.

No, just searched on Google. I will look specifically on ebay though. Well, my grandma isn’t practicing either. My family is very weird and complicated, haha. But when I converted, she gave me my dad’s old Missal and our family Bible. She knows and appreciates that I am really the only one in the family who values these types of things even though she hasn’t practiced in a long time.

My mom said that she doesn’t think I should say anything because she doesn’t want my grandma to think we were nosing through her things. But I don’t think my grandma would care because she even said that everything in there (she has some very expensive, nice jewelry as well) is to be divvied between me, my mom, and my aunt. Recently though, my grandma said something about wanting to sell the jewelry in there, and my aunt doesn’t want her to sell these valuable and sentimental things, so she said that we had already split everything up. My mom said best just not to mention anything, lest she remember that box and get the idea into her head again that she wants to sell the stuff.

It’s just a complicated and long story! My mom said just to go ahead and keep it for now, I’m the only one who would really care about it, and if and when anyone mentions it, I will just say that I borrowed it and would be happy to give it to someone else.

 

[aicirt]

Why not tell Grandma, at an appropriate time, that if she’s selling the rosary, you want to buy it from her?

Actually that might be a good idea with all the other stuff too. If interested in a piece, buy it from Grandma and let her enjoy the proceeds. You could have a Chinese auction.

 

[anp1215]

Why not tell Grandma, at an appropriate time, that if she’s selling the rosary, you want to buy it from her?

Actually that might be a good idea with all the other stuff too. If interested in a piece, buy it from Grandma and let her enjoy the proceeds. You could have a Chinese auction.

Oh, I don’t think she would be interested in selling the Rosary. The jewelry is the stuff that is really valuable. Even if I offered, she would never let me buy it from her.

 

[aicirt]

Oh, I don’t think she would be interested in selling the Rosary. The jewelry is the stuff that is really valuable. Even if I offered, she would never let me buy it from her.

I’m sure she wouldn’t allow you to buy it from her. My thought was it is a way of bringing up the subject to indicate your interest in it.

 

[anp1215]

I’m sure she wouldn’t allow you to buy it from her. My thought was it is a way of bringing up the subject to indicate your interest in it.

Yes, hmm… Well, I don’t know. We’ll see. Thanks for your responses.

 

[mv328]

I can tell you exactly where your Hillmark rosary came from. My great aunt and uncle, Harvey and Laurence Hill (Laurence - pronounced “La-RONCE”- was a French girl’s name - they were originally from New Iberia, La.), had a rosary shop in downtown Houston. They made beautiful sterling rosaries, as well as selling other fine gift items. They put the stamp “Hillmark” on all their rosaries. I still have 2 of their rosaries - one is sterling with crystal beads, and has the Blessed Sacrament behind Our Lord’s head on the crucifix. The other is a solid gold rosary they gave my mother when my parents married in 1949. I LOVE Hillmark rosaries - they are very high quality and are the only ones I have ever had that never break.
May the Love of Our Dear Lord and His Holy Mother be always with you!

 

[atiencat]

My mother received a Hillmark sterling silver rosary with wedding bell mater beads. I have been trying to find others and information of when she may have obtained and for what occasion. Thank you for posting about your aunt and uncle. I live in Lafayette. Do you know which stores may have carried these rosaries?

 

[mv328]

I don’t think any stores carried these rosaries besides my great aunt and uncle’s little store in downtown Houston, which closed about 1960.

 

[atiencat]

Thanks for the reply! My mother went to Sacred Heart in Ville Platte. The apex is a Sacred Heart medal. She graduated in 1953. She may have received it as a gift from her mother or from one of the faculty. Since the beads are wedding bells it could have been a wedding gift. When my parents were married, daddy was in from Korea and they had to have permission as it was Lent. So many questions and no one living to answer. Momma died in July and I have her rosary.

 

[atiencat]

I would post a photo of the beautiful rosary but can’t figure out how.

 

[mv328]

So sorry about your mother. I would love to see a picture of the beautiful rosary - I have never seen a Hillmark rosary with wedding bells for the beads.

 

[Mystrx]

Wow this interesting how the stamp of a name on the back of a rosary crucifix can bring up so many memories. I myself am lucky to have two of my grandma’s rosaries. My advice, don’t overlook sentimental value with things like these. Especially if you’re the last practicing catholic in the family. You should talk to her about it, you never know there could be a very good story behind it.