Hilbert was born to Charlie (ʔadsəd)[4] and Louise (tsi sqʷux̌ʷaɬ)[4] Anderson on July 24, 1918, near Lyman, Washington (slux̌ʷ), on the Skagit River.
[2] Her parents spoke Lushootseed with each other and their friends, which encouraged the young Hilbert to begin to learn the language.
From there, she transferred to Franklin High School in Portland to get the best education she could find, while working as a domestic to support herself financially.
Denny died of meningitis in 1940, after which the couple separated and she moved to Nooksack (near Bellingham, Washington) to live with her parents.
Her third and final marriage was in 1945 to Henry Donald "Donny" Hilbert, who honorably served in World War II, surviving the attack on Pearl Harbor while aboard the USS West Virginia.
[7] Lois had a son Jay (dᶻətasəbqiʔ) and a daughter Jill (tsisqʷux̌ʷaɬ), who is named after Hilbert's mother.