Found this at the Alberta GenWeb site: http://users.rootsweb.com/~canab/index.html
Select the “Local History Book Project”

Thanks to the kindness of a Look-up in Alberta, Canada by Stan and Marion Cragg.

Dear Penny
There was an article in the "Rolling Hills In Retrospect" book. It contained excerpts from "Scandia Since Seventeen" so we are forwarding this article to you.

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TOM HILLIS - by a niece Anne Campbell
Born in Cullybacky, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, in 1897. Came to Canada at the age of 17 years, to Walsh, Alberta, to the farm of his uncle, where he stayed for 2 years. Times were tough, so Tom decided to work on a ranch. He took off on foot down towards the Cypress Hills, where he stayed for several years. Tom liked the Hills so much that for the rest of his life he
made twice yearly trips, just to look around. Distance was no obstacle; he always took time; that was his vacation. One time he was herding sheep in the Hills in early winter when a storm came up. His camp was in a sheltered place, somewhere near Lookout Point. A rancher moving a herd of cattle up from the south passed Tom's camp. Tom told them they had better stay, as the storm would get worse, but they wouldn't keep their cattle at a sheep ranch, so pushed on. Two days later the boys were rounding up a bunch of scattered cattle, they lost quite a few, some as far as the U.S. border. He was at Walsh or the Cypress Hills from the fall of 1915 to 1925 either herding sheep or riding after horses or cattle. Tom was around Brooks for the next three years, then to Alderson in 1928 as manager for J. J. Bowlen. In 1929 he went to Banff when he was wrangler for a Pack outfit and did some cooking, also in 1930 he married Goldie St. Clair, who was an ex–cellent
trick rider with Buffalo Bill 101 show, and Will Rogers troupe. In 1912 she won the Calgary Ladies Championship, which she held for several years, retir–ing soon after. In 1930 and 1931 they were back at Alderson and at Tilley in 1932-33. In 1934-38 they were on a farm at Scandia, just east of
the bridge. Tom said it was a poor place. The land was poor, so they moved to Rolling Hills in 1939, where a new irrigation settle–ment was starting. Tom and Goldie put on a stampede at Rolling Hills in 1939. They also held stampedes in other districts. They stayed in Rolling Hills until 1949, when
they moved to Pollockville, where they bought a good sized ranch from Harry Veiner. They ran mostly sheep, and some cattle. This place was hard to get out of in the winter, as there were few people living around. Goldie was not feeling too well in 1953, so they decided to sell the ranch and move closer to the highway. In 1953 they moved to a smaller ranch north of Sunnynook, where they farmed and ran about 100 cattle. It was here in the fall that Tom's horse stepped in a hole and fell, breaking Tom's shoulder. The neighbors always saw that there was a rack load of feed for the cattle, till Tom was able to walk again. They stayed there until 1956. Goldie was needing medical care so they sold out and moved to Brooks, where Goldie passed away, in Brooks Hospital, in November.

Tom went to Ireland in March, 1957, to visit his family - the first time since coming to Canada. He stayed 3 months. Returning, he was accompanied by his niece, A. Campbell, who resided with him. Together they made another visit to Ireland in 1968, for 3 weeks.

Tom made his last trip to the Cypress Hills in the summer of 1974. He passed away December 31st, 1974, and is laid to rest beside Goldie, in the Brooks Cemetery.

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Hope this helps.

Stan and Marion