Thomas GEORGE Allen Hodgins (1892-1977) and William Walter Hodgins (1898-1964)

Brothers Sam and Dick Luker along with their cousin Jerry Dempsey agree that their Uncles George Hodgins and Bill Hodgins were very special indeed. Below are some of their memories and information about their uncles as they recall it.

Uncle George took over the family farm near Clandeboye, Ontario from his parents Sam Hill "Red Sam" Hodgins (1846-1919) and Sarah Catherine Crawley (1857-1939.) George's father "Red Sam" had died. George's mother Sarah, after living with George and his wife, Wilhelmina Ethel O’Neil (1896-1962) on the farm, went to live with George’s sister Florence Susan (Toss or Flossie) Hodgins (1887-1968) and her husband, Thomas Alfred (Fred) Clatworthy (1888-1931) in London, Ontario. 

The Hodgins Family farm at Lot 14, Concession 3 in Biddulph Township not far from Lucan, Ontario. The Culbert Family farm (Poplar Farm) was located south of the Hodgins farm at Lot 19, Concession 2. Both farms were situated on the Coursey Line.

Left to right: James Grafton "Jim" Hodgins (holding horse); Thomas GEORGE Allen Hodgins; the family dog; William Walter "Bill" Hodgins; Pearl Ellen Hodgins (on bicycle); patriarch Samuel Hill "Red Sam" Hodgins; Elaine "Babe" Hodgins; matriarch Sarah Catherine (Crawley) Hodgins; and Mary Ida "Molly" Hodgins.

George Hodgins married Wilhelmina O'Neil on June 23, 1920. They had two children, Arthur Samuel Clayton Hodgins (1923-2012) and Jack Ernest Hodgins (1927-2006). Arthur Hodgins moved to the United States and married Alice Selina Gummerson (1925-2012). Arthur and Alice had one son, and adopted a second son.

George Hodgins with son, Arthur Hodgins c1925.

George Hodgins' younger son, Jack Ernest Hodgins (1927-2006) married Joyce Jardine (born 1927) and settled in Wingham, Ontario where Jack owned and ran Rona J.E. Hodgins Lumber Ltd. The family has owned and run the business for 55 years. 

Left to right: Arthur Samuel Clayton Hodgins and Jack Ernest Hodgins with their father, George Hodgins in the 1930s. 

George, according to his daughter-in-law Joyce, ran the family farm until the dust started to bother him. George traded the farm for his brother Bill’s and his sister-in-law Lila’s house in London, Ontario. Bill Hodgins had married Lila Ann Sanders (1900-1983) a music teacher on Oct 15, 1921. Bill and Lila had no children.
 

Wedding announcement for Bill Hodgins and Lila Sanders who were married in Exeter, Ontario. Source: Exeter Times, 20 Oct 1921, page 1.

When Sam Luker first started visiting the Hodgins' farm in the 1940’s, the farm had no electricity or running water. They had a windmill in the front of the house, and coal oil lamps for lighting. To get to the farm in the winter when the roads were impassible, they were picked up by Uncle Bill in his horse and sleigh.

Dick Luker remembers the wonderful visits to the Hodgins’ family farm as well. In the winter Sam and Dick's dad, Wilbert Luker would drive as far as he could on the road to Lucan. Wilbert always got stopped at the small village of Mooresville as the snow could be 5 feet deep. Dick shared that Unc would meet them in Mooresville with a large old sleigh pulled by his main horse, "John Thar". Uncle Bill would give them a buffalo robe to keep them warm, and away they would go to the farm. They loved every minute of it.

Dick Luker reminisced that Uncle Bill would let him ride “John Thar”. One day when Dick was riding, the horse took off and Dick was knocked off by a tree branch. However, the good old horse stood by him until Unc came and found him. Uncle Bill also used to let Dick churn the milk from his cows. Dick would make whipped cream. Dick recalls eating large bowls of whipped cream. He doesn’t know how he didn’t balloon up to 200 pounds.

Sam and Dick Luker loved going through the barn and seeing all the animals and chickens. The Hodgins’ farm was 100 acres of mixed crops, cattle, pigs, chickens, and a few horses.

Dick and Sam’s father’s family, the Lukers in Exeter raised Standard Bred horses. They raced in a sulky all over Ontario, many times competing with great riders such as Clint Hodgins, a relative on their mother’s side of the family.

Horses, reflected Cousin Jerry Dempsey, seemed to play a big role in their family. When Jerry was 16 (1955) Clint Hodgins (diamond horseshoe stick pin in his tie) came to the Western Fair Grounds to race. Bill and George arranged for Jerry’s mother and Jerry and Jim to go and see him. Jerry believes that his Aunt Gladys Hodgins was also with them (Sam and Dick’s mother). Clint was driving the favorite in the 4th and 8th races, and Bill and George bet heavily on Clint to win the in the 4th despite poor odds (apparently having "inside dope"). Clint was leading at the 3/4 pole but all of a sudden Bill shouts "you SOB Clint!" as Clint pulls heavily back on the reins and finishes 2nd by a nose. Of course the odds on his horse rose for the 8th race which he easily won by several lengths. I doubt that Bill and George ever forgave Clint. I guess the moral of the story according to Jerry is that all's fair game in horse racing - even amongst family.

Clint Hodgins of horse-racing fame

After the family farm was sold, Bill Hodgins and his wife, Lila moved into London on Becher Street. This was the same street where Bill’s sister, Gladys Sarah Hodgins (1894-1984) and her husband Wilbert Luker (1884-1953) lived as well as Bill’s other sister Estella Kate (Stella) Hodgins (1879-1971) and husband Edward Frank (Ed) Housen (1879-1962).

George and Bill's sister, Gladys (Hodgins) Luker.

Dick Luker remembers Uncle Bill Hodgins walking down from his home on the hill, only a few steps from their house on Becher Street in London. Bill would often drop by to see his favourite sister, Gladys, and they would sit at the kitchen table and talk about old times. And...the parties Dick describes were held on Saturday nights. Uncle George would play the fiddle and Sam and Dick’s mother Gladys would dance the night away. Jerry remembers his mother,"Babe" doing the Irish Washer Woman dance around the room.

George and Bill's youngest sibling, Elaine "Babe" (Hodgins) Dempsey.

After brothers George and Bill Hodgins retired from farming, George worked briefly for the railroad out of London, Ontario before both brothers bought the Cobblestone Inn located in Byron, Ontario. They also bought, renovated, and sold houses in the London area.

One of the many businesses that Bill and George Hodgins ran in London, Ontario included a filling station on Wharncliffe Road. Jerry Dempsey would stop in there quite a bit for a chat and a Coke, usually on his bike on the way home from the Thames Valley Golf Course. It was a tough business and it seemed as though something was always going wrong in their repair shop. This business location later was turned into a restaurant called “Autos".

Jerry Dempsey stated that his recollections of his Uncle George and Uncle Bill are mainly from when he was a preteen and teenager in London in the late 40’s and 50’s. Both uncles had a dry sense of humour which was quite unique. It came out in common conversations when they would ask Jerry question after question about his adolescent life. They would listen very attentively to his answers, and then glance at one another and make some very funny low key response, usually comparing the generations. Jerry’s older brother Jim did an excellent imitation of the two uncles which Jerry found hilarious.

Both uncles spent a lot of time helping Jerry’s mother Lillie Victoria May (Elaine or Babe) Hodgins (1903-1985) with home repairs at their house on 1008 Wellington Street in London, Ontario. They employed a younger, Irish colleague Reagan to do the heavy work. Jerry vividly recalls watching them work in his backyard with Reagan on the steep roof repairing the chimney. The uncles would shout out instructions to Reagan from below. They also did almost all of the reconstruction of the extra rooms in the Dempsey family basement. They converted a coal bin and another room into bedrooms in about 1949-1950, so that the family could rent out the rooms. The renovation provided a really important source of income for their mother, Elaine Hodgins who was a single parent. Without this ongoing assistance from Bill and George, it probably would not have been possible for the family to remain in their Wellington Street home.

Jerry Dempsey and his mother, Elaine "Babe" (Hodgins) Dempsey c1956.

Uncle George Hodgins was the first fiddler that Jerry Dempsey and his older brother Jim had ever heard. George was active at family gatherings fiddling Irish jigs while everyone danced. 

Jerry Dempsey grew up most of his life without his father so he appreciated his Uncle Bill’s kindness in accompanying him to several "father and son" outings hosted by the Cub Scouts and the Anglican Church. This friendship from a male adult was really important to Jerry.

Aunt Lila, Bill Hodgin's wife played the piano beautifully, and was very kind  to the Dempsey boys, Jim and Jerry. Jerry shared that Lila assisted his mom Elaine in many ways when his mother was struggling to work and look after her two young boys. Aunt Lila's smile could light up the room. Dick recalls that Aunt Lila tried to teach Sam Luker to play the piano.

Euchre party at the home of Bill Hodgins and his wife, Lila in Lucan. Note that a Culbert is in attendance. It should read "Miss Willa Culbert." Her full name was Wilhelmina Ann Culbert. Willa Culbert (1906-1974) was the daughter of Wilson Wesley Culbert & Pearl Cuddy. Willa's father, Wilson was the son of William Edward Culbert & Ann de Coursey, and William Edward Culbert was a son of John Culbert & Mary Ward. Source: Exeter Times-Advocate, 4 Feb 1926, page 8.

Uncle Bill Hodgins had a severe stroke shortly before he died. He was conscious but could not vocalize nor walk. Jerry Dempsey recalls visiting his uncle Bill Hodgins at his home in London in the early 60’s where Aunt Lila cared for him. Jerry shared that when he would tell Bill stories about their time together when Jerry was younger, Bill could only cry. It was a very sad time. Jerry remembers how loving and attentive Aunt Lila was with her husband Bill and that they were a wonderful couple.

The Hodgins have been very successful for generations. Sam Luker, a retired psychologist and chairman at the University of Guelph; Dick Luker, a retired bank Vice President at First Federal Savings in Detroit; and Jerry Dempsey, a PHD in Kinesiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison along with an honorary doctorate from the University of Western Ontario are fine examples of the Hodgins' interest in learning, quick wit, great sense of humour, the gift for Irish storytelling, and love of family.

Although Bill and George Hodgins’ parents, Sam Hill Hodgins and Sarah Catherine Crawley had 11 children, a number of their descendants did not have progeny. The once very large Hodgins family has dwindled in number today but rich memories have been passed onto future generations. 

George and Bill Hodgins' Family Tree:

Ancestors:
John Culbert & Mary Ward (great-grandparents)

Susan Culbert & Philip Crawley (grandparents)

Sarah Catherine Crawley & Samuel Hill Hodgins (parents)
Desecendants (Children) of Thomas George Allen Hodgins: 
Arthur Samuel Clayton Hodgins (1923-2012)
Jack Ernest Hodgins (1927-2006)
 

Back row, left to right: Arthur Hodgins, Wilhelmina (O'Neil) Hodgins; Jack Hodgins, Joyce (Jardine) Hodgins, and George Hodgins.

The Culbert Family History blog wishes to thank the following people for their part in this memoir of George and Bill Hodgins:
Richard Luker, Sam Luker, and Jerry Dempsey for recounting memories of their uncles, George and Bill Hodgins. 
Joyce (Jardine) Hodgins for contributing photographs and memories.
Judith Luker Massey for consulting with Richard, Sam, Jerry and Joyce to gather these memories.

Cursed! Blood of the Donnellys

Winter's here in full force so it's time to curl up with a good book. 

Cursed! Blood of the Donnellys is a novel based on the true story of the Donnelly family. If you haven't already read about the Donnelly-Culbert connection, click here. 

Cursed! is written by Canadian author, Keith Ross Leckie (published by Douglas and McIntyre, 2019) It's a fictional account inspired by the lives of the Donnellys who once lived in Biddulph Township near Lucan, Ontario. Occasionally details including names, dates, events and locations have been changed or invented for the sake of the narrative. 

“What I wanted to do was show the Donnellys as individuals,” said Leckie. “Usually they’re portrayed as a gang of thugs, and they’re not individualized.”

Check your local book store for Cursed! Blood of the Donnellys or order it online.