Hilda "Maudie" Hoffman

1925 - 2022  (96 years)

• Name	Hilda "Maudie" Hoffman
  Born	19 Oct 1925	Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Gender	Female
  Honors	1986	Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	Wellesley Citizen of the year
  Interesting	volunteer
  Name	Hilda "Maudie" Koch
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-223628
  Died	13 Feb 2022
  Person ID	I223628	Generations
  Last Modified	28 Jan 2025

  
  

  Father	Ezra Henry Hoffman,   b. 8 Nov 1892, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 11 Mar 1967, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 74 years)
  Mother	Oliva Catherine Lotz,   b. 26 Sep 1892, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1 Aug 1971, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 78 years)
  Family ID	F239450	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Alvin P. Koch,   b. 1918, Lisbon, North Easthope Twp., Perth Co., Ontario, Canada ,   d. 13 Feb 1975  (Age 57 years)
  Last Modified	29 Jan 2025
  Family ID	F60991	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Lifetimes: Hilda Koch made Wellesley a better place to call home By Valerie HillSpecial to the Record Mon., Feb. 28, 2022 They called Hilda Koch "Mother Wellesley," a title well earned for decades of volunteering in the town where generations of Kochs had raised their families. In 1986, Hilda was named Wellesley Citizen of the Year. She loved Wellesley and spent her life applying her talents to the Wellesley Historical Society, Wellesley Township Horticultural Society and Wellesley Township Fall Fair. When she was only 10, Hilda won a silver plate from the T. Eaton Company, an award for public speaking. She was also recognized for penmanship and outstanding baking skills. In 2011, Hilda was interviewed for the book "Overtime: Portraits of a Vanishing Canada," by Karl Kessler and Sunshine Chen, after entering about 50 fall fair exhibits of pickles, antiques, collectibles, flowers, baked goods, preserves and embroidery. Despite being head spinning for its variety and volume, the number was much less than in previous years. "As I'm 85, I'm cutting down," she told the authors. Hilda was also a 46-year veteran organist at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, where she served on numerous committees. Then there were the service clubs and Nithview Home that benefited from her years of volunteer work. As she got older and perhaps less firm, Hilda continued to volunteer, serving on the auxiliary and writing for the home's newsletter. Thinking ahead, she put her name on the waiting list for a room. As her name would eventually drift to the top, Hilda would say she wasn't quite ready yet, and her name would go back to the bottom. It stayed that way until 2015 when Hilda finally moved from her beloved little pink house into the care home. It was the end of an era. Hilda and her husband Alvin had lived in the house their entire married life, raising two children, Iris and Rodney. Hilda, who all her friends called Maudie, was born Oct. 19, 1925, on a Wellesley farm, the only child of Ezra and Oliva Hoffman. The family moved into town when she was nine. She only spoke German but learned English quickly. As a teenager, Hilda relocated to Kitchener to attend business college. Kitchener would also be where she started a short-lived banking career. Alvin, a carpenter who worked with his father, was also a lifelong resident of Wellesley, so their paths often crossed throughout their youth. When the Second World War broke, Alvin signed up and saw considerable action in Europe. He returned to Canada at the end of the war, and the couple married in 1946. Hilda had resigned from the bank following the death of Alvin's parents and her father in a six-week span. Living back in Wellesley, she landed a job answering phones for two local doctors. Iris remembers her mom recalling the doctors assured her it wasn't a busy job; she could bring knitting to pass the time. Once they recognized Hilda's competence, her job expanded. Suzan Deckert, a former colleague at the clinic, said it was a busy practice, and Hilda's job was to do the books, send out bills, complete payroll, answer phones, make appointments. Given this was Wellesley and many patients were Old Order Mennonite, Hilda needed to understand their culture and language. "She spoke Pennsylvania Dutch," said Suzan. "She understood it from being in that community." Suzan spoke of her friend's sense of humour, how she had thick skin and could deal with any issue that popped up in the clinic. Alvin had died in 1975 at age 56, and though Hilda was devastated, it sparked a strong independent streak in her. She was also very close to her aunt, Hilda Lotz, driving her around and caring for the older woman until her death. When her aunt passed, Hilda placed her aunt's stuffed gorilla in the passenger seat, an unusual travel companion to be sure. For all her years of service and wins at the fall fair, Hilda's estate is filled with boxes of plaques and awards. She also loved to scrapbook, keeping track of all major events, both town and personal. Hilda created a history of the town, complete with sparkly stickers. Iris said her mom was lovely, strict, devoted to the town, her church and her family. Hilda died on Feb. 13, 2022, 47 years to the day that Alvin died. "They were both very loving," said Iris. "I remember receiving lots of kisses." "Lifetimes: Hilda Koch Made Wellesley A Better Place To Call Home". 2022. Therecord.Com. https://www.therecord.com/life/2022/02/28/lifetimes-hilda-koch-made-wellesley-a-better-place-to-call-home.html.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 19 Oct 1925 - Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Honors - Wellesley Citizen of the year - 1986 - Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth