Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry Bill Hill is named Volunteer of the Year at the Warren County Historical Society volunteer luncheon.

It’s fitting that Bill Hill spends time at the Warren County Historical Society — he’s lived through quite a bit of the history of the county.

About 10 years ago, during the swearing-in of an elected county official, Hill, a mere 80 at the time, was the subject of a good-natured joke about the duration of his service as an attorney — something about him being present for the laying of the cornerstone of Warren County Courthouse in the late 1800s.

He probably wasn’t old enough to participate in that event, but Hill, a 1947 Warren High School graduate, did practice law for for more than half-a-century.

At the recent historical society volunteer luncheon, Hill was named Volunteer of the Year.

He first started volunteering at the historical society in 2014 — at the age of 85.

“He has spent almost every Thursday morning for the last five years tending the front office, greeting visitors, answering the phone, and fielding many local history questions,” Executive Director Michelle Gray said. “The best thing about Bill is he knows so much about Warren County that, as a rule, he knows the answers off the top of his head.”

“He is delightful and charming, always bringing a smile to everyone’s face with one of his famous jokes and always delivering a kind word to all who enter during his watch,” Gray said.

At 90, the value of the work at the historical society keeps Hill coming back.

“I’ve enjoyed working at the historical society for the past several years,” he said. “I think that what they give to Warren and Warren County is very important, and to keep it going is also very important.”