Billy Hoch

Billy L Hoch has departed this great little green planet called Earth, to take up his new residency somewhere beyond the Rainbow. Billy was born northeast of Minier, June 12, 1933, into a wonderful family. His parents were William Hoch and Clara Riddle Hoch. He was the youngest of four children and he had three sisters Lorene, Lena and Betty. All of the Hoch children attended and graduated from a one room country school named Boston School.

Billy learned farming from his father, who was one of the area’s very competent farmers. Billy's Mother, Clara, was acknowledged to be a fine cook and homemaker. The fact that Billy was a chubby boy will attest to that. One of Billy's luckiest days was when he married Marilyn E Grant, at Stanford II, January 10, 1953. A little later, March 20, 1954, a little girl, Colleen K Hoch was sent into their lives direct from God's Beautiful Heaven.

Marilyn and Billy farmed for almost fifty years in the Minier and Stanford area. Marilyn was just as an important part of their farm operation as was Billy. Clean, weed free fields, as well as an orderly and neat farm stead were very important to both of them. In later years, their grandson, Craig Arbuckle was a great helpmate operating the farms.

Both Marilyn and Billy believed in higher education for young people and created two college scholarships to benefit a graduating senior boy and girl from Minier. The scholarships are dedicated to their daughter, Colleen Hoch Arbuckle, and her Grandparents, William and Clara Hoch.

After the passing of their daughter Colleen, Marilyn and Billy were devastated. Marilyn's health grew worse as time passed, and soon she was gone. Now the toll of losing both his wife and daughter hit him fully.

Rather than give into the sadness and grief he vowed to carry on the good work of his wife Marilyn and daughter Colleen who was a school social worker in unit five schools at Normal, IL. She helped many children and loved all of them, and they in turn loved her dearly. Colleen got much of her compassion and kindness from her mother Marilyn.  For over 20 years Marilyn was a volunteer at the Hopedale nursing home, washing and setting hair for the residents and she had great talent for this, earlier in her life she sang in the choir of the St. Johns Church of Christ at Minier and helped her church in any way that was needed.

As time passed one day Billy asked himself what he can do to help people, especially children, how he can leave this world a little better than when he was born into it. And he wrote these words.

"What matters at the end of our lives, is not all of the days we have lived, but the days we have lived and helped others."

So, by using the above words to guide him in his life, it greatly helped heal the sad events that had occurred in his life, and Billy did live up to his words and was able to help many others before his death.

Craig has been blessed with three fine young Americans, Grant WM. Arbuckle, Emma Colleen Arbuckle, and Caden Dale Arbuckle. In his mid-seventies Billy moved from his home in Minier to Pekin, where he had numerous friends and several cousins.  Some of them that are very special to Billy are Mrs. Marie Guengerich, Mrs. Billie Mae Reid and Family, and Mrs. Gina Riddle Bartelmay.

There will be no conventional services, for that has occurred for Billy when he responded to the needs of the many people and charities, he was able to help in his life and in the many years of tilling and planting his fields. The tending of those crops and finally, the wonderful days of harvest and the feeling that goes with the harvest that only a farmer can understand.

A graveside service will be held on Sunday April 19th at 2:00 pm in Minier Cemetery.

The memorials to Billy may be made to his church St. Johns United Church of Christ PO Box #530 Minier, IL 61759.

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