It was while Carrie and her girlfriend
were looking for someone to take them to a dance, when they came across two available
dates. It was the drive to the Wardsville dance that Carrie got to know Hill. "I knew
that he sprang from good parents, so one way or another we got together, just
automatically." They courted by Hill's horse and buggy.
Carrie never mentioned it, but she first married Archie Patterson. He went off to
the First World War and never returned to Carrie though he did survive the war.
Hillard Charles Stocking, son of Thomas Stocking and Bessie Pickett, was born 2 November
1900 at Euphemia Township, Lambton County, Ontario.
During a visit in 1987, Carrie said this about Hill's last name, "What a crazy name
(Stocking). It might as well be Shoe! (chuckle) I never liked the name. (chuckle) But
something about him I seemed to like. He was different than he is now. (chuckle) He had
his own teeth, and he had hair ... sort of pliable then. (more laughter)." Carrie
added, "Nowadays, I would make him take my name."
Carrie and Hill were married 22 December 1927 in the Temple Baptist Church at Windsor,
Ontario.
They farmed for 40 years, mostly corn, wheat, oats - feed for cattle and pigs. And they
had hens! Two to three hundred hens at a time and they were Carrie's responsibility.
They were blessed with two "beautiful" oil wells on their property. That was in
1948 with oil at $2 per barrel. There was an article in the Imperial Oil Review with their
discovery, with the well producing 40 barrels a day. Known as "Dante No. 2", oil
was found at 345 feet. When asked by a Toronto Daily Star reporter about her good fortune,
Carrie replied, "People may say this prosperity is coming up out of the ground but
the fact of the matter is that it is God's gift from above, and we are grateful for
it."
With continued prodding, Carrie told the reporter with this money they could have "a
nice new home". Hill on the other hand, talked of new farming equipment and updating
his 15 year old car; they had won the lottery.
The well was found on their 10 acre plot that was bought by Hill's father in 1883. It
didn't "last long, (but) awhile" said Hill.
They retired from their farm in 1967 and sold 330 hens to move into Bothwell, Ontario.
In their latter years, going to church, visiting, and puttering about the house were their
activities. They would watch the 11 o'clock news, and then off to bed. In their last days,
a little kitten entered their life. Carrie called it, "Kitty".
It was one cold morning in November when Carrie saw a little kitten shivering outside. She
brought it home. The kitten was so small, and Carrie being a farmer's wife, knew that milk
was too strong so she weakened it with water and dabbed her finger in the diluted milk so
the kitten could lap it up.
This Kitty eventually went hunting for mice and birds, and brought its prize downstairs
and to have his "banquet". Carrie would clean up the feathers. Carrie would also
feed "normal kitten food".
However, it was Hill that the little kitten was fond of. It would spend hours rocking with
Hill; in the cats mind, Carrie was only there to feed it.
They also had at one time, a terrier/beagle shorthaired dog and he was put down when it
was almost 15 years old; "nice little fellow" said Carrie.
She enjoyed watching the ball games as a youth, and that interest continued throughout her
life. When she had cataracts removed she enjoyed the ball games that much more.
Carrie died on 12 December 1988 and was buried in the West Bothwell Cemetery at Bothwell,
Ontario.
Hill died on 26 February 1992. Reverend George Tunks assisted in the funeral service and
internment was in the Bothwell Cemetery. The Heart and Stroke Foundation was one of the
charities cited for donations. |
