Born to parents Maxine and Cecil Hill, July 15, 1943, Donna Gail grew up in Oak Hill – now part of southwest Austin – where her family operated Hill’s Arena. The constant activity at the arena including weekly buckouts, practice ropings and rodeos – fueled Donna’s love for horses and competition. She was an accomplished barrel racer and horsewoman, active across eight decades.

In 1965, Donna married cowboy and livestock man Donald Lee Shiller. Their nearly 50 years together exemplified tremendous love, affection, and commitment to each other and their family. They spent most of their years in Taylor, Texas, where Don operated the Taylor Livestock Auction. They were busy with the auction barn and being parents to their daughter, Dawn. They supported her activities like dancing, twirling, and livestock showing, and hauled her to youth and high school rodeos across the state. When Dawn and her husband Trey Sizemore had children, Donna and Don embraced their roles as grandparents to Tiffany and Tandi. They adored their granddaughters and were proud of their achievements.

Through it all, barrel racing remained Donna’s personal passion. If you ever saw her riding down the alley with her hat pulled down tightly, you saw sheer determination. She competed in the National High School Finals Rodeo in 1961 and the National Finals Rodeo in 1964. She also qualified for the 1963 National Finals and, despite not competing in that year’s NFR, finished 14th in the year-end standings. Donna then spent decades competing, and winning, in open rodeos, barrel racing associations, and most recently, senior rodeos.

A true horsewoman, she won more than a dozen trophy saddles on multiple barrel horses. Donna loved her horses. Her brown eyes would light up when she talked about each one, and she was especially proud of the ones she trained and finished.

She was inducted into the South Central Texas Rodeo Ring of Honor in 2015, the Central Texas Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2022 and the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2023.

Donna was a role model and mentor to many men and women in rodeo and in life. She will be remembered for her kind-hearted nature, always wanting to look her best, and for the lengthy, meaningful conversations she had with family and friends. There was no such thing as a “short phone call” with her.

Donna Gail loved the Lord. Recently, she even surprised herself by her growing confidence in sharing her testimony and the good news by handing out Bibles to friends and acquaintances. While we mourn her earthly parting, we take solace knowing that she was saved by His grace and greeted into His kingdom. “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Donna was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Don Shiller; her parents, Cecil and Maxine Hill; her uncle, Hudson Hill and his wife Patty; her uncle, Jay Carson and his wife Winnie; and her niece, Patches Hill Tomlinson.

She is survived by her companion Sonny Owen of Lexington. Donna considered the past few years with Sonny to be a wonderful blessing and was grateful for him, their shared love of rodeo, horses and intertwined histories. She was a wonderful sister to Alford and Carolyn Hill of Round Mountain; and a terrific aunt to nephew, Hoyt Hill and his wife Caroline of Austin. Donna is also survived by the Sizemore family, including her great-grandson, Legend; as well as her grand-nieces and grand-nephews, Macy Mayfield, Ty Tomlinson, Garrett Hill and Sadie Hill. In addition, Donna leaves behind cousins, extended family and close friends whom she considered family.

A visitation was held from noon to 2 p.m. Thursday, May 30, at Providence Funeral Home in Taylor. A funeral service followed at 2 p.m. A graveside service will follow at Taylor City Cemetery.