Hilda Spellman

### Siblings

Zelda Spellman, Vesta Spellman, Sophia Spellman (sisters), Edward Spellman (brother)

### Relationships

Willard Kraft, Anton Drell, Wayne Banning

*"I know, really. I partied like it was 1699, 1799, 1899... but 1999, I stayed home." - Hilda Spellman*

**Hildegarde "Hilda" Spellman** is a resident of Westbridge, Massachusetts and the owner of a local coffee show among several other local businesses, such as a dress shop and an antique shop.

Not much is known about her life. She is a descendant of Philip Spielman, a European businessman who came to the United States in the 1890s and helped build Westbridge's industrial district while spending money to preserve its historical buildings. She once mentioned being born in Salem, Massachusetts, later claming she was born in France, describing her birthplace as "still stuck in the 14th Century.

Effervescent, funny and sometimes profound, Hilda confesses she is the fourth child in her family (which had since Americanized the name to Spellman), having an older brother and two older sisters, and a younger sister. Before coming to the United States, she lived on a pig farm with her sister Hilda, the two of them indulging in mischief in the local village as kids, but she must have come into some opulence afterward because she claims she was invited to several balls and cotillions by her local suitors. Upon arriving in Massachusetts, her father built a large house on Collins Road south of town which later became a residential neighborhood. She and Zelda dated often, but for some reason, they never married. They once had a considerable fortune and had number of housekeepers in their house, later dismissing them around 1996 after taking in their neice, Sabrina.

Sabrina lived with Hilda and Zelda for several years until she moved out and went to college. During that time, she briefly dated Willard Kraft, Sabrina's principal, until his habits became unbearable. Afterward, Willard started dating Zelda, which annoyed Hilda so much that she tried several times, even sometimes with Sabrina helping her, to break them up. At some time in France, Hilda had dated and almost married a New Age fanatic named Anton Drell, but he stood her up at the chapel.

In Westbridge, Hilda parlayed her interest in music into teaching violin lessons to young kids in her home, but she often commiserated the lessons were often forced on her students by over-expectant parents. Her neighbors considered her eccentric while others thought the Spellman House was haunted due to wierd activity around it. Much of this "activity" was directed at Sabrina, and long after she went to college, many of Hilda's neighbors and even some of Sabrina's old classmates were repeating and embellishing stories about her.

While Sabrina was in college, Hilda started realized her chances to be a mother were running out, and she started dating Wayne Banning, the president of Sabrina's college, but their relationship didn't work out. On a trip back to France, she met a struggling American actor named William Bannerman, and after a whirlwind courtship, they got married.

In 2010, Hilda encountered Melissa Strickland in her coffee shop after mistaking her for someone else. Sent to Westbridge to cover their Revolutionary Days Festival, Melissa became mistaken for Sabrina and while interviewing her, Hilda gave her advice on her career with considerable details from her own past. Having bonded, they became close friends with Melissa promising to return to Westbridge at a later date.