Class of 2007
Elkmont named its football stadium after Boss Hill in 1996, which the community "appreciatively endorsed," Morris said.
Hill was born in Limestone County in the Lentzville community in 1922. His family moved to a farm in Elkmont (near where he now lives) when he was 10 years old.
"He went to high school at Elkmont and played football a couple of years, although he was mainly a sub since he was small compared to the bigger boys like Robert Witt and C.L. Spence," Morris said. "They used leather helmets and had no face masks and about everyone had a broken nose."
In 1939, Hill went to work on the family farm . At 19, he married his sweetheart Anna Davis and a couple of years later they had their first child, Barbara. He was called to the Army in 1945 and arrived on the coast of Japan just in time to watch the Emperor of Japan sign the surrender treaty.
After returning home, he continued to farm and drove a school bus for six years. He and Anna had two more children, Neil and Jeff.
In 1956, Hill went to work for Worthington Air Conditioning in Decatur (now G. E. Refrigeration) until it closed in 1972. He went to work for the Limestone County Schools bus garage until he retired in 1986.
"Boss started getting involved in school activities when Barbara was a cheerleader," Morris said. "As Neil and Jeff got older, they both played football. Boss never missed a game. As a matter of fact, from the early 1960s until 2005, he only missed one game, which was due to him being hospitalized." History tells that Hill and several others met in the 1960s and formed the first Elkmont High School Quarterback Club. "Over the years, Boss has seen every building on the school campus torn down and replaced," Morris said. "He had a hand in building many of them, especially the athletic buildings."
Hill, who is now 84, has served as treasurer of the Elkmont Booster Club for 25 years.
"Boss says he has loved every minute of working on the fields and promoting Elkmont athletics," Morris said. "But if you really want to see him light up, just mention his grandchildren Brian, Allison, and Savannah, and especially his great grandchildren Justin and Reid."
"He has helped our school with many fundraisers by selling thousands of gallons of chicken and goat stew," Morris said. Each year, Hill invites hundreds to his annual chicken and goat stew. Last week, more than a thousand people enjoyed the day at his home.