Joseph Reuben Hills was born  April 10, 1835, in Jefferson County, in upstate New York.  Some time in his early year he migrated to Kewanee, Illinois.  He must have come with some family because, in his Civil War record, a niece Lavina A Kernes, age 56, and a half brother William H. McAuley, age 74, both residents of Kewanee, IL, on March 24 & 23, 1899, make affidavits of knowing him in Kewanee and knowing him since childhood. Joseph died in 1899, age 63.  McAuley was older, the son of the same father or mother of Joseph. appears in the 1850 census living in Adams Township, Jefferson County, living with his mother, Elizabeth Hills and his half brother, William  McAuley.  The census notes Elizabeth as head of household.  Normally, in the 1850 census, a male name is the only to appear for a family.  Elizabeth appearing as head of household suggest no male parent in residence.  Elizabeth's surname is unknown at this time.   It seems she had one child, named McAuley, (marriage name? maiden name?)  and one child named Hills. A  conclusion can be drawn that she was married to a Hills when she bore Joseph. I have not been successful tracing him further back.

In Kewanee Joseph Hills met and married Charity Jane Eckley on the 15th of March, 1862.  Charity Jane signed her name Ackely on the marriage license.  Joeseph's name appears in records as Hills and sometimes Hill.  It is Hills in his Civil War records.  On his death his obituary cites:

Joseph R. Hills an old time resident of Storm Lake, died at 2 o'clock Tuesday morning (January 26, 1899) of pneumonia, brought on by an attack of the grip, after one week's illness aged 63 years, 9 mos, and 14 days. Mr. Hills was born in Jefferson Co., New York, April 10th, 1835. At the age of 16 he went to Michigan where he lived for four years, then moving to Henry Co., Ills., where he married Miss Charity Jane Eckley in 1862. He, with his family, came west and settled in Storm Lake in 1877 where he resided ever since.

Mr Hill was an old soldier having served in Company A. 124th Illinois Infantry during the Civil war.

Charity Jane on her porch in Storm Lake

Charity Jane Eckley, born October 05, 1837 in Ohio.  Her father, John Eckley, born May 24, 1802 in PA; died May 30, 1882 in Sioux Rapids, IA.  He was the son of  Peter Eckley and  Esther Ralph.  He married Abigail Henderson August 20, 1828 in Jefferson Co, OH. Charity Jane's mother, Abigail Henderson, born March 24, 1812 in PA; died September 05, 1890 in Sioux Rapids, IA.  Abigail Henderson was the daughter of  James Henderson and Elizabeth Miller. Charity is the Great-Great-Great Grandaughter of  John Eckley, one of the original Quaker settlers of Pennsylvania. Click here to see ancestry of Charity Jane Eckley. That John Eckley is the first of the Eckley family able to be traced to the New World.  The time he came makes him one of the very early colonialists in America.  Information about him suggests he was a farmer of substantial wealth and was learned in the law.  He served in the first Provincial Court of Pennsylvania. His family seems to date back to the 1300's in Herferdshire. There is also suggestion that the family may have come from Germany, leaving as Quakers to avoid Catholic persecution.  John Eckley was born in England, immigrated to America with William Penn.  He returned to England once and also lived for a period in Barbados. Click here to see material on John Eckley and Eckley family.

John and Abigail (Henderson) Eckley were residents of Ohio and seven of their children were born in that state. In 1845, with their children, they joined other families on a move to the State of Iowa.  Here two more children were added to their family and in 1850 they moved to Stark County, Illinois. Later, they moved to Knox County, Illinois, where Mr. Eckley engaged in carpenter work in the now town of Oneida.  The family continued residence there until 1869, when, with their unmarried children, they moved to Clay County. Iowa. Their years were spent as loyal, conscientious, Christian citizens, respected and loved by their family, neighbors and friends; their internment was in the Fanny Fern Cemetery, Douglas Township, Clay County, Iowa.  (Page 156, The Records of the Eckley Family in America, 1962, by Lizzie Johns) In New Jersey, Peter Eckley was married to Esther Ralph, daughter of Thomas Ralph, who had a son, Ephraim Ralph, an officer in the revolution. The Ralphs moved to Westmoreland County, Penn.  (Peter Eckley's name appears on the Tax list of Huntington Township, Westmoreland county in 1786.) Peter and Esther (Ralph) Eckley remained for some time in Pennsylvania.  About the year, 1800, they came to what is now the State of Ohio, whither their eldest son had preceded them.  They finally settled in Richland County, same state, where they died, the grandfather at eighty years and the grandmother when ninety?two years old.  Until the year 1814 the Eckley families remained in what is now Jefferson County, Ohio, and then six families moved to "Mohican Valley." (No doubt, 'Mohican' was a local name for central Ohio counties, Richland, Ashland and probably Morrow.)  From Biographic Record, Harrison and Carroll Counties, Ohio. 1891  (Page 14, The Records of the Eckley Family in America, 1962, by Lizzie Johns)

Charity Jane Eckley  Hills

In 1877 Joseph and Charity Jane Hills left Kewanee, IL and moved to Storm Lake, IA.  They followed Charity Jane's parents John and Abigail Eckley who moved to and settled in neighboring Clay County, IA. Joseph and Charity Jane Hills raised seven children.  We know of two who died young. Benjamin Hills died January 21, 1896 of congestion of the lungs. He was born February 1880. Obituary reported in the Storm Lake Pilot of January 23, 1896. Henry Hills, born about July 1875, drowned while hunting November 21, 1901. Born in Illinois, died at Storm Lake. Story of incident and Lodge Resolution from the Storm Lake Pilot-Tribune of November 22 and 29, 1901. In addition to George, Benjamin and Henry, their other children were Vine, Nell, Dell and Joseph.

George William Hills, my grandfather, was born in Kewanee on June 19, 1871.  He was seven when the family moved to Storm Lake.  Because he was bright, when he completed grade school, his folks decided to send him to high school. They sent him off to his first day in a brand new hat. Someone teased my grandfather about that hat. He was embarrassed and angry. He left school and left home. He did not return home until his brother Benjamin, died. He had a dream, while in the Southern United States, about his brother.  Based on the dream and a need as he awoke, he returned home to find that Benjamin had just died. Benjamin died in January of 1896.  George was "on the road" some four to five years.

Benjamin died in an accident while tight-rope walking. A brother of Joe Hills was a circus performer. He, in fact, had married a circus performer. He learned to walk the tightrope and other high line acrobatics from his wife and they performed together. He used to come to the Joe Hills' farm in the summer and teach the kids how to do tightrope acts. Benjamin, in particular, took to this and put on a performance which, among other things, included a fake fall in which he caught himself with his arm. It was, apparently, while doing this in the barn that he tore something internally, suffered internal bleeding and died as a result. According to his obituary he died of congestion in the lungs.
 

My mother tells me that while he was on the road her dad lived by his wits. He was a gambler. He was called Budgy Hills. She showed a picture of him, "Two Dudes", Budgy, his buddy Cooney Stanton, and Budgy's pet racoon. The picture shows him as quite the "blade" -a dashing young man. Budgy came back to Storm Lake upon his brother's Ben's death and stayed. He worked regular thereafter. He didn't gamble.  He met and fell in love with Louise Kleyter.  She put him on the straight and narrow.

Budgy & Buddies

Budgy was Scotch Irish, he and his family were known as Yankees.  Louise was a German. Her father Heinrich Kleyter ran a boarding house and had a bevy of daughters to help him operate it.  Louise had left home and gone to Chicago where she worked at a millinery shop making hats.  Her half sister Julia, who shared a mother with Louise, was established in Chicago and helped her sister get out on her own.  Henry (Heinrich) imposed on Louise to return and help in the boarding house, and promised to remember her specially in his will.

George and Louise married over the  protest of Louise's father. Henry Kleyter disinherited Louise when she married. They were married  in the home of a sister of Louise, who with her husband, F. S. Kaufman, stood up for them and threw a reception for them. In the Storm Lake Pilot Tribune of June 21, 1901 it is reported:

Geo W. Hills and Miss Louise P. Kleyter were united in marriage at the home of the bride's sister, Mrs. F. S. Kaufman, in this city Wednesday evening June 19, at 8 o'clock, Rev. LeGrand Pace of the Christian Church officiating.   It was a quiet home affair there being present only the immediate relatives of the contracting parties. After the ceremony a splendid wedding supper was served by Mr. And Mrs. Kaufman.  Both parties have been brought up here and are well and favourably known as was evidenced by the  large number of  pretty and useful presents received.

Because she was disinherited Louise sued the estate on her father Henry's death. In his will Henry left Louise's share of the estate to her three daughters, Fleeta, Gwendolyn and my mother, Madelin.  (my mother Madelon is shown in her birth record to be Madalin Hills born  October 13, 1909. She changed her name to Madelon because she hated being called Madeline). The Court file sets out Louise predicated her suit on the basis of promises by her family when she was working in Chicago. She was to return home and help her father with the boarding house that he operated with his daughters. She accepted his offer and returned home. This was the contract that supported the recovery in her claim. Louise doubled the $300.00 left to each of her daughters for a total of $1800.00. Louise's recovery, with the money her daughters inherited, was used when George and Louise went farming in Minnesota.  George bought pedigreed Hogs, and built a fancy Hog Barn.  Their high hopes were dashed when the market for pigs fell out early in the century. The market was so bad, their cash so tight, they couldn't feed the pigs, nor could they sell the pigs, pedigreed or not.

George was successful as a building contractor in Storm Lake.  He built many of Storm Lake's  finer homes.  Nevertheless, he continued to be restless.  Not long  after their marriage they pulled stakes intending to move with their three daughters to California.  They went by way of Oklahoma where Louise had another half sister, Jennie Walz, living there. They made it as far as Oklahoma, gave that a try.  Things didn't work out.  Frustrated they returned to Storm Lake.

George suffered terribly from ulcers.  A doctor told him he had to get out from under the stress of building. He "should go farming" the doctor prescribed. Doing that he would be at peace and have freedom from stress.  George, Louise and the three girls headed out to "go farming". They had the stake from the law suit, dreams of peace and rich farmland to be had in Renville County, Minnesota.  They bought a farm close to Bird Island, Minnesota and started up.

George did not do well with farming.  What the doctor failed to reckon with was George's impetuous personality and this "Irishman", as he was know in Renville County, was no match for the industrious, methodical, German farmers in the area. He simply could not make it as a farmer.  He hoped the pedigreed hogs would create the edge which could put him on balance with his fellow farmers.  When he lost the pigs, his stake in life, things were absolutely bleak.  My mother remembers one Christmas in which she and her sisters expected to find nothing under their tree much less a tree.  When they awoke Christmas morning they discovered a Christmas tree with an apple, a tablet and a pencil waiting for each of them.  My mother recalls this as a very special Christmas in her life.

George next undertook to perform carpentry services for his neighbours in exchange for them doing his farm work.  This worked for a while until George fell off the roof of one of his neighbour's barn.  He badly injured his leg. This finished him.

Louise, an industrious German, if not as methodical as she might be, (she married dashing, endearing George), opened a café in Bird Island. She was equal to this having grown up in a boarding house.  As a supplement, George was a great front man.  Their café provided them a meager living until they were able to buy a small home in Bird Island where they retired and George died in 1944.

George was colorful.  He loved to hunt, he loved to fish.  He was born and raised a "Christian".  When he and Louise decided to marry they went to Louise's priest.   She was Catholic.  George would not become a Catholic, but he would be willing to be married in the Catholic Church.  If Louise wanted to raise their children Catholic, he would not object.  He would not however become a Catholic himself.  The priest refused to marry them.  He said he had lost to many of his flock to mixed marriage.  He lost Louise.  They had George's minister marry them and after that lived in the Christian Denomination..  When they moved to Minnesota they were considered Irish Protestants.

George always had his gun close.  My mother tells the story how he was always watching for that hawk that might kill his chickens.  She said he was always shooting at hawks until one day he came in the house shouting "where's my gun, I got a hawk heading for the chicken coop". He grabbed his gun, ran outside and immediately started shooting at that hawk.  He missed the hawk.  He nearly didn't miss twin babies sitting in a buggy taking sun.  One of his shots passed between the babies, striking a rock right behind them as they sat there with their mother visiting Louise.

George liked to hunt anything.  Whether it was the chicken hawk, game birds, or, occasional "camp meat" he was a hunter.  He used to go deer hunting until the one hunt that proved the end for deer. One fall he came home without a deer.  He explained "he had a doe in his sight ready to shoot.  The doe turned her head and looked at him, looked him right in the eye".  He said "those eyes were so sweet and so sad, as though the doe knew what he was about to do, he just could not shoot".  Although George was capable of telling a tale or two, which this might have been one to explain his missing his deer that year, he never went deer hunting again. This suggests that was how it really happened.
 

George also liked to fish.  He made his own lures, the fat baserino he fashioned always guaranteed a catch.  He could go to any lake and would know exactly where to go to catch whatever fish he was seeking.  That is, so long as the lake had a stock of that fish.  My folks bought a log cabin lake place in 1941.  George loved to come out to it, to fish or just be there. While there he kept busy making improvements, whether it be shelves in the kitchen or a sawhorse that saw me a rider through childhood. When it was time to fish he would go out and come back each time with a stringer full, defying the work of my folks and friends to do the same.  After cleaning the fish he would plant the entrails with the vegetables in the garden and produced prize growth.  He was good to his three little grandsons who joined George's idolization club.  .

THE DONOHUE BOYS Billy Mike & Little Howard the THE GEORGE HILLS FAN CLUB

Along with the three Donohues George had his own fan club at home in Bird Island.  When he reached the age of 12 years, he gave his shot gun to his grandson Bob Hilgert. Bob was very proud of the gun, the first duck he bagged went to Grandpa Hills. This was after he tried it out, the first few times the gun knocked Bob right over on his can.  Bob related that story fondly, talking of the time Grandpa Hills was six years and had the same experience.  It seems George was home when the fall run of ducks came in to land on Storm Lake.  No one was home so Little George ran in grabbed the shotgun and went down to the lake.  George was little all his life.  This was true when he was six years, he was real little.  This did not daunt him.  After the discharge of the gun knocked him on his tail one too many times, he figured out how to brace the stock on the ground, aim and shoot.  His Dad came home, while George's hunt was underway.  Joe asked Charity Jane, "who's at the lake shooting?"  She told him it was "Little George"!  Joe had a temper, which was fuming as he went down to the lake. When he arrived he found George with three ducks already bagged.  He never said a word and let George hunt from there on in.

George and Bob his  "Hunting Buddy"

In Bird Island George became a hunting and fishing companion with the Catholic parish priest.  Whether the friendship simply arose or was meddling by Aunt Julia, who was always concerned that Louise had left their family religion, was not known but wondered about.  George found this Priest to be such a regular guy that he decided he wanted to join his Church. He started instructions.  Not long before this one of his daughters had left high school at the age of 16 to marry her sweetheart.  There was upset about this and upset that she took her husband's religion.  He was a Catholic.  It was therefore surprising to see him join that Church that had given him the irritation that it had in past years.

While studying for his conversion the family decided to send Madelon, their youngest, to Aunt Julia's in Lafayette, Indiana, to go to business school and become a secretary.  Madelon, my mother, had been angry because she was not allowed to go to high school.  Her sister had quit to get married, and the family was in the death rattle of their farming experience.  They did not want to spend the money to send Madelon to high school, but decided it a good investment of $300.00 tuition to send her to business school.  She could stay with Julia without having to pay room and board.  If she was going to be living on the good graces of Julia, she had better be Catholic.  So Madelon was hurriedly enlisted in review of the Baltimore Catechism and was baptized with her dad.

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