27

On September 23, 1939, Garth Hosking married Mildred Edna Roberts. Mildred was a schoolteacher from Truro who came to teach in nearby Ship Harbour. After marrying Garth, and moving to Oyster Pond, she taught the advanced class at the Oyster Pond two-room schoolhouse.

On August 27, 1949, Willie O died at the age of 68. He had tended the store for more than 31 years. The business was now a fixture in the community. Despite Garth and Mildred's decision to "phase out the business" once Garth started working in Dartmouth, the store remained open for another 25 years.

The store was renamed "Hosking General Store" and Mildred took over the daily operation of the business.

28

Receipt from Hosking General Store to J. Jennex
1957
Oyster Pond, Nova Scotia

29

While the store letterhead and invoices were in Garth Hosking's name, the business was actually run by his wife, Mildred Hosking. She knew her customers and loved the business. In this 2004 interview, Barbara Siteman remembers how Mildred saved the flour bags for different people in the community.

"There was a list of names of who wanted the burlap bags. Somebody from the school, Sunday school, needed five. Mrs. Boyd Harvey needed two to do her mats. Sanfords needed four to hang their onions, to hang their carrots. Salmon River House needed three. So you had a list. When you had to decide who was going to get them. And there was one that came that used to have a decal on it, or a printing on it, and they were all lined up, well not lined up, but there to say, 'I want this, 'cause I'm making that mat with Purity on it.' Clover on it or something. And they used to get those and make seat covers."

30

Mildred (Roberts) Hosking was the wife of Garth Hosking (Willie O's nephew).
February, 1942
Oyster Pond, Nova Scotia

31

Mildred and Garth had three children: Elaine, Merdon, and Marlene. Only Elaine remembers Willie O, as she relates in this interview from 2004:

"The thing that I remember about Uncle Will. It's kind of funny the things you do remember. Back then you would have travelling salesmen come with their suitcases and wares. And I suppose this fellow was from J. & M. Murphy's, I'm going to say, because it was clothing and material. And there was this red sweater, which had a zipper up the front. It would really be in fashion right now. I remember how I loved it. And I suppose I badgered Uncle Will, until he badgered the salesman, and he bought the sample for me. I wish I still had that sweater, it was so nice."

32

Medicine invoice: Davis and Lawrence Company
13 August 1953
Oyster Pond, Nova Scotia

33

Mildred was an accommodating storekeeper. She filled orders that were dropped off, telephoned in, or even came by post. She would put together the list and either have it delivered, or hold it for pick-up.

Her daughter, Elaine, recalls that many times, customers didn't have to name the brand or variety they were looking for, because Mildred knew what they preferred if the list said "can of meat". Mildred even took precautions when a customer with the drinking problem might come looking for "Beef, Iron and Wine", a medicinal tonic with a high alcohol content. Elaine remembers rushing to hide the few bottles of tonic before the customer got in the door.

Other customers, as Elaine relates in this 2004 interview, had expectations of service as well:

"I can remember stocking the shelves. And I always remember Uncle Cecil Mitchell coming to the store, and when I'd see him coming I'd think, 'Oh he wants corned beef.' Then you'd have to dig in this barrel, right to the bottom, 'cause he'd want to get the meatiest piece going. I don't blame him, 'cause I'd want that myself right now. And then I can also remember having to draw out molasses into containers. And the worst was probably kerosene. Another thought I just had, there was a big wooden case Dad had built to keep the matches in. Like the large boxes of matches that you would buy. And somehow or other, I don't know what I did, but, maybe I dropped a box and caught it on fire. I can remember having my hair singed. Forgot about that till just now."

34

Grocery (produce) invoice: Nickerson and Crease
24 February 1953
Oyster Pond, Nova Scotia

35

Like Willie O, Mildred was a frugal storekeeper. In this 2004 interview, Elaine (Hosking) Dooks recalls that her mother often brought home spoiled products from the store to use for their meals. Nothing was wasted.

"I always used to think when I had to go buy my own groceries, I didn't know how I would ever do it. Because we never bought a grocery order. Like if, you know, potatoes were going bad, or something else was going bad, Mum would always bring that stuff home and we would cut off the bad portion and use it. Or a dented tin, it always came home."

36

Garth and Mildred Hosking at their retirement party
1975
Oyster Pond, Nova Scotia

37

In 1975, Mildred Hosking retired as storekeeper. After 84 years in operation, the Mitchell / Hosking store closed.

Two factors led to its closing. First, Mildred was ready to retire. What started out in 1949 (after Willie O's death), partly as an obligation to keep the store open for the community, had turned into a love of the trade: meeting people on a daily basis; helping those who were isolated get access to their groceries; giving credit when times were hard.

However, the second reason for closing was the inevitable demise of the village store, as for so many other stores in so many other communities around the province and across the country. By the 1970s, most people owned a car and could travel further for their groceries. In 1975, a small supermarket opened just 3 kilometres from Oyster Pond in nearby Head of Jeddore. While the little village store was known for having everything, the appeal of the supermarket was irreversible.

38

Mildred Hosking sits inside the restored store at Memory Lane Heritage Village
August, 2003
Lake Charlotte, Nova Scotia

39

Mildred loved keeping the store, although her first love was teaching. It therefore seems fitting then that the store has been preserved to help teach visitors about a way of life that no longer exists; a life that remains only in the objects and buildings of that time, in reminiscences of those who experienced it, and in the photographs that captured it.