Family oral history states that "Sarah Strait, George's mother, was a beautiful girl of German origin. When George's father, Richard Hill fell in love with her, she turned him down. He was very unhappy and disappointed about that, as one might suppose, so he decided that he would leave town rather than to stick around and watch her marry someone else. Before he left, he told Sarah that if she ever changed her mind, she should just send him one message: 'Return, Richard.' Well, you can guess the rest. In a few months, he received the desired message: 'Return, Richard.' He, of course, was thrilled to comply. They were married, and he insisted on calling his first son Return Richard Hill. Incidently, this 'Return' name has been handed down quite a bit in the succeeding generations."

Source: Baker, Edith. "George Washington Hill Addendum. Roots Web. Nd. Web. 29 May 2012.