Mabel Betsy Hill was born 7 May 1877 in New York City, New York. Her father James Hill was born in 1845 and her mother Julia E. Murdock in 1844. Mabel was a prolific illustrator of children's literature during the first part of the 20th century. She lived in both New York and Massachusetts. When she was 94 years old, she passed away in New York in June of 1971.