JOHN HILLARD CELEBRATED HIS 100TH BIRTHDAY-1931

HILLARD, BOEDING, HERBER, ROBINSON, MITCHLEY, FELLER

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 3/10/2017 at 09:08:06

Dubuque Telegraph Herald-November 4, 1931

JOHN HILLARD
CELEBRATED HIS
100TH BIRTHDAY
~
Resident of Dubuque
for 35 Years; Was
Born in France
~
A century of life has passed before John Hillard Wednesday as he sat in the home of his daughter, Mrs. Peter Herber, 531 East Twenty-Second Street, and received the congratulations of his grandchildren, great grandchildren and innumerable friends on his one hundredth birthdays celebration.

From early in the morning throughout the day the centurion sat in the living room of his daughter’s home and received the congratulations of all who visited him. As he sat there years seemed to drop from the old man’s frames as his grandchildren one after another embraced him, kissed him, and offered their congratulations. At the same time he seemed a little stunned that he was creating such a commotion, for he appear to think that his great birthday anniversary was just another birthday. But it all pleased him.

Poses for Photos

In the midst of the congratulations that were being showered on the venerable old man, he was asked to pose for the photograph which is reproduced with this story, and gladly consented.

The celebration of the one-hundredth anniversary of Mr. Hillard’s birth began with the celebration of a high mass in the Sacred heart Church at 8:15 o’clock Wednesday morning. The Rev. Arnold Boeding, pastor of the church and long the spiritual advisor and close friend of the centenarian, was celebrant of the mass. The church was filled with relatives of Mr. Hillard and a large number of his friends.

At the conclusion of the mass Father Boeding delivered a sermon in which he paid tribute to Mr. Hillard’s long and active life. The priest told of how during all of the years that Mr. Hillard had lived in Dubuque he had been a member of the Sacred Heart Parish, and told of the important part religion has played in his life.

Native of France

Mr. Hillard was born Nov. 4, 1831 at Lurtinger, France. In his native France he learned the shoe maker’s trade, and when he was 28 years old he came to America. He settled at Fairplay, Wis., where for many years followed his trade, making the shoes that the majority of the pioneer in that section wore.

He was married at Fairplay to Miss Catherine Mitchley, who died 26 years ago. After many years at Fairplay, Mr. Hillard became a farmer and for many years worked a farm about two miles out of East Dubuque, in Illinois. He retired from active life about 35 years ago and has since made his home in Dubuque. He is now making his home with his daughter, Mrs. Frank Robinson, 315 King Street.

Mr. and Mrs. Hillard were parents of 11 children, seven of whom are still living. The living children of John, Keokuk, Ia.; Joseph, Dubuque; Nicholas, Emery, S. Dak.; Mrs. Frank Robinson, Mrs. Peter Herber, Dubuque, and Mrs. Peter Feller, Omaha, Neb. There are 66 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren. The youngest of the great grandchildren is Bobby Herber.