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Dorothy Hill

Many people in Lloydminster know who the late Jim Hill was. This is especially true if you have been involved in hockey or farming. However, many might not know his wife Dorothy in the same way. But as the saying goes, Dorothy is most definitely the strong woman by his side supporting her husband.

Dorothy was born and raised in the Lloydminster area. Jim and Dorothy met in high school. At 15, their first date was a hayride that was put on by the church. Dorothy advised that her and Jim were always supportive of each other’s dreams and upon completion of high school, Dorothy ventured off to Edmonton to pursue her dreams of becoming a Registered Nurse at the University of Alberta. After graduation, she was offered an additional year of training to become a Public Health Nurse. At the time, the Alberta Government was in the process of rolling out public health units and offered the training at no charge. The condition was that they then had to work for two years in public health. Dorothy’s first job after finishing this additional training was at the Kitscoty Health Unit.

While Dorothy was in Edmonton, Jim stayed in Lloydminster and helped on his family farm. Jim and Dorothy were not in a hurry to be married. After her contract was up with public health, Dorothy had the opportunity to return to Edmonton to teach nursing at the University of Alberta Hospital. After a couple of years, she decided that this was not the career for her and came home. From there, an opportunity arose for Dorothy to be an Industrial Nurse up in Norman Wells. She could not pass up the chance to gain the experience, so she hopped on a plane and headed north. Dorothy stayed there for one year. When she came home, her and Jim decided that it was finally the right time to get married! Being that their wedding was in March, hockey playoffs were on. Jim’s team was in an important series and a win on the day BEFORE their wedding would ensure that they did not have to play again the next day, the day they were to be married! Dorothy tells the story with a twinkle in her eye as she describes Jim scoring the winning goal late into the game. Thankfully, he was able to attend his own wedding without worrying about how his hockey team was doing.

Within the first year of their marriage, they welcomed their oldest, a boy and a year later, their second child, a girl. Dorothy stayed home to raise her family and Jim farmed. Dorothy worked part time at the hospital to help pay the bills.

Dorothy always had a heart for horses. She and Jim helped start up a stable that taught riding and jumping. Being the kind and giving people that they were, they later donated the stable to Lakeland College.

Throughout their life, Jim and Dorothy were involved in Kinsman and Kennett’s. Being an active member of the community was important to them. They were always giving back.

When the Slim Thorpe opened, Dorothy took a position there as a nurse counsellor and stayed until she retired. After retirement, she helped look after her mother-in-law and spent time with her family. They were your stereotypical Canadian family that played ball and went to the lake in the summer and played hockey and curled in the winter.

Travel was also a passion that they both shared. When Jim was a part of the Old Timer’s Hockey Club, they had the opportunity to travel the world. Japan, Scotland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, and the United States were all countries they explored during this period of their life. They also spent several winters in Phoenix and enjoyed their time there.

Dorothy’s advice for a happy life? Have a close relationship with God, spend time with the people you love, count your blessings. When you are feeling sorry for yourself, do something for someone else. Worry about yourself and not everyone else and try to have an attitude of gratitude.