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Ed said that he had been with the bank for 33 years, and he not only remembered Ray, but he had known most of the now-deceased Stoddard family as well. Since Ray was no longer an active customer of the bank when he died, Ed was surprised to hear of Ray's tragic death in 1981. He did have, however, a very current knowledge of the Stoddard property.
Ed Hightower described the Stoddard Farm as a 190 acre dairy farm with beautiful rolling meadows and pastureland, including approximately 22 acres of woodland and a two acre, once-stocked, spring-fed farm pond. According to Ed, the main home consists of a gracious two-story, twelve room wooden farmhouse, rebuilt after a fire in 1905. Fortunately, the barn and outbuildings were not damaged in the fire.
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For many years after it was built back in the 1870s, the huge dairy barn with its state-of-the-art sixty foot silo, continued to draw the admiration of farmers from miles around. With its numerous outbuildings, lush green rolling pastures, and outstanding views, the old Stoddard Farm had once set the standard for dairy farming in turn-of-the-century Towns county.
Ed recounted the fact that Ray's Uncle Oliver ("Crazy Ollie") Stoddard, had lived there as a virtual recluse until his death last year. According to Ed, Ollie was found deceased in the house and had been there, undiscovered, for more than a month before being found by a post office employee attempting to deliver a registered letter. |next|
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