Hilton "Hilt" Elder

Hilt was born March 15, 1932 at Hamiota, Manitoba and raised in Waskada, Manitoba by his parents Christopher and Beatrice Elder.  The Elder family farmed north of Waskada in 1934 and moved to south of Waskada on the North Dakota border about 1935.  Hilt started school at Hernfield School in 1938 and walked three miles in the summer time.  At the age of eight, Hilt got his first pony, a Welsh Shetland cross named Flash, which he rode to school.  In 1941 he attended Waskada School before moving to attend the Hernfield School again in 1944.  Hilt later left school to help his Dad on the farm.

Hilt and Alice were married in 1953 in Waskada and continued farming.  They moved to Victoria in 1956 where Hilt worked in the bush doing logging for about a year, then running a freight elevator for the Hudson’s Bay store.  Later Hilt went to work for the Colwood Inn as a bartender until April 1960 when they moved to Calgary.  They had four children: Harold, Kendra, Kellie, and Karla.

On June 13, 1969 Hilt married Lila Trieber and adopted her two children Cindy and Shelly.

In Calgary, Hilt drove tow truck for Regent Towing, worked for Millar & Brown Trucking (1963), PIX (Pacific Inland Express), and around 1965 started with Adby Transport hauling cement and lumber.  In 1969 he started with B-Line Transport as a long distance driver, running to Vancouver twice a week, and to Seattle once a week to get a load of bananas.  These miles were made with another driver (driving double).  Then one day, Hilt decided he had driven enough miles and went to work in B-Line’s shop.  In 1977 he began working with Hal-Vey Industries as a foreman in a trailer repair business.  In 1980 he began with F&M Trailer Services as foreman for a trailer repair and rebuild shop.

In 1982 Hilt began with Diversified Transportation in Calgary and Edmonton as a bus driver transporting tradesmen to and from the construction sites in rural areas.  In 1983 he drove for Pacific Western Transportation as a bus driver on charters, tours, and spareboard.

In 1984 Hilt started with A.G. Engman Enterprises as a mechanical service manager, maintaining horticultural equipment and general shop duties.  In 1987/88 Hilt contracted a job with Santa Fe Drilling in Egypt to build a truck shop in the western desert near Alexandria/Cairo.  This was a great experience and has brought many good memories.

Since his retirement in November 1996, Hilt has enjoyed the simple pleasures of life at home in his own shop.  After Lila retired in 1999 they took up travelling and spending winters in the southern USA.

Hilt is best remembered by his colleagues for “always being ready” whenever called to make a mile or do a job.

Hilt will forever be remembered and cherished by his wife and best friend of 51 years, Lila.  He will be forever remembered by his children Kelly Elder, Karla (Rick) Palardy, Harold (Sharon) Elder, Cindy (Jim) Friesen, Shelly (Blaine) Rose, and son-in-law Neil Kennedy (predeceased by his daughter Kendra); his grandchildren Valerie (Mark) Smyth, Michelle Gaule, Nicole & Jacob Palardy, Quinn & Lauren Elder, Melanie (Aaron) Torvik, Travis (Jackie) Friesen, Carmen (Scott) Wagler, Tia (Kevin) Bogath, Brittany (Klarence) Feitsma, and Brett (Ariana) Rose; great-grandchildren Nathan Settee, Ella & Lars Torvik, Arlo Friesen, SJ, Austin & Madi Wagler, Alexis & Cohen Bogath, Carson, Wyatt & Kassidy Feitsma, and Kolson Rose; his brother J. Brian Elder; his sister Marie Gotte; as well as many nieces and nephews.

Due to the current restrictions on public gatherings, a private family service will be held.

Memorial donations are gratefully accepted to any charity of your choice.