Born in Briscoe, Missouri, Rev. Hildra (H. L.) Overton came to Des Moines, Iowa by 1927 and served as pastor for the Burns AME Church at 811 Crocker St. in December 1927. He served the church and the Des Moines civic community through the NAACP, the YMCA, and the ministerial alliance. He remained in Des Moines until 1935.

Rev. Overton served as a pastor in Denver, Colorado, then as district superintendent in Missouri. He also served as a pastor in Wichita and Kansas City, Kansas. Rev. Overton finished his career in St. Louis, Missouri, returning to Des Moines for a centennial celebration for Burns AME Church in 1968. He died in 1975 and is buried in the Troy, Missouri cemetery.