Dutton Hockey

When going through my father's things I came across two cloth badges that says it all about the state of the hockey teams in Dutton in the late thirties and early fourties.
The high school badge would have been Bruce Ivan Hillman's. Both Bruce and John A.(my father) played for the Dutton Thistles of the Ontario Rural Hockey League from 1938 to 1942.

Steeles & Thomas's

My father John Arnold Hillman married Audrey June Steele 28 June, 1947 in London, Ontario.My mother's family were a mixture of Scottish and Cornish with a dash of English thrown in.
My grandmother Hilda May Thomas(1892-1970) represented the Cornish element while the Scottish and the touch of English was my grandfather William Fletcher Steele(1885-1935).
Edward John Thomas(1858-1892) and Maria Gartrell Rickard Thomas(1862-1914) immigrated to Canada sometime in 1890 or early in 1891. They were from Callington, Cornwall. Their other children Arthur Edward(1884-1919), Maude Maria Beatrice(1886-?), and Raleigh Ewart Cornelius(1889-?) were all born in Callington. Hilda May was born in London, Ontario. Edward John was a market gardener near the village of Thorndale, Nissouri North township just north and east of London, Ontario.
The Steeles were in the Thorndale area somewhat earlier than the Thomas's. Matthew Steele(1805-?)and Mary Anne Fletcher(1815-before 1881) immigrated somewhat before 1845 from Scotland. Their children were Donald(1845-1914), Archibald(1847-1907), Andrew(1848-?), Laura(1851), John(1856-?). All were born in Canada. Donald Steele(my great grandfather married Mary Jane Coleman(1848-1933)(the touch of English). William Fletcher Steele(1885-1935) married Hilda May Thomas 31 December 1918 in London, Ontario.

To the right in the photo is Audrey June Steele in either 1943 or 44. She joined the Canadian Army as a nurse in 1942.