American Mothers, Inc.

Thank You!  I feel very honored to represent North Dakota as the Mother of the Year.   

I believe that it's important to remember to Live, Love, and Laugh!  Always be there for your Family.  Family means everything to me.  Motherhood is a lifetime career; one full of joys, sorrows, hopes, concerns and mostly unconditional love.

I grew up with eight siblings, two sisters and six brothers.  We learned what hard work was and how to share responsibilities and pray together.  I have ensured that our children have learned these traits. 

We were very fortunate to have raised our son and three daughters on the family farm.  Our children grew up working with us which taught them responsibility, respect, and how to trust one another. 

As a parent, I believe that patience and unconditional love are two virtues that need to be instilled into children from the beginning.  As children witness these virtues in their daily lives they learn to understand the world, feel compassion, and how to serve others. 

As mothers it is our job to never give up on ourselves and to never give up on our children.  It is the everyday “hanging in there” that gets us through.  My congratulations go out to all of you Moms who are “hanging in there”!  Now that my children have grown into wonderful adults, I can say, “It's worth it”.  To be a good parent you need to be there for your children always. 

We make it our top priority to spend as much time as possible with our children and grandchildren so that they understand we will always take the time for them regardless how busy our daily lives get.  

 Grandchildren are so wonderful--such a JOY!  We love our role as Grandparents.  We attend numerous school, church, and sports activities to show our love and support.   Our nine grandchildren add new meaning to our lives; they are all so special.  As with our children, each grandchild has their own unique talents and contributions to add to our family and to this world.   

My heart lies within my family.  As I’ve watched our children grow up and have families of their own, I have experienced true happiness!  It has been an absolute wonderful experience to witness all of our hard work, worries, and tribulations of raising children transform into pride, hope, and joy for the strong compassionate individuals they have become as adults. 

Life is so short and it goes by way too fast.  It seems like yesterday when our children were the size of our grandchildren.  You must make everyday count.  Never put off for tomorrow what you can do today.  Live everyday to the best of your ability.  Take the time! 

As a wife, mother, and grandmother, I feel that I have experienced the greatest joys possible, much more then I could have ever imagined and it has made my life complete and my heart full of happiness.  My career as a Mom has been truly rewarding.  I have served my family through work, play and prayers.  Once a Mother, always a Mother.  A Mother is forever. 

Sally and Carlyle Hillstrom have been married for 42 years.  they have one son and three daughters; their children are all married with families of their own.  Sally and Carlyle have been blessed with nine grandchildren.  As parents, family has always been the center of their lives.  They love their role as grandparents and attend many school, church and sports activities to show their love and support.  As a mother of four small children, Sally managed to cultivate a loving home environment where their children learned to respect and trust one another and others.  Outside of the home she partnered with Carlyle to grow a successful family farm business and instilled the importance of hard work, perseverance and partnership in all of their children.  Their children have passed down these traits to the grandchildren who love to visit the farm.