MENDOTA - As clues to the identity of the winner of the H.D. Hume Award for Outstanding Service were read at the Mendota Area Chamber of Commerce annual dinner on Nov. 8, Lee Stocking looked around the room and thought he spotted the person they were talking about. He excitedly told his wife, Pat, the person’s name. But as additional clues were read, Stocking became less certain who the winner was. “When they said, ‘his wife, Pat,’ then I knew,” Stocking laughed. “That was a shock. I was very surprised.”

As owners of Lord Stockings Bed and Breakfast for the past 31 years, Lee and Pat always attended the Chamber dinner, so nothing seemed unusual this year. Even though the Stockings closed their bed and breakfast this year, Lee was asked to be a Chamber ambassador representing the Mendota Museum & Historical Society, so he was still involved with the Chamber. In fact, as he often did, Lee was at the Civic Center on Thursday to help decorate for the dinner.

Originally from Rochelle, Stocking was the youngest of eight children. He attended school in Rochelle and then went to Kishwaukee College before moving to Mendota in 1974 for a position with Wayside Furniture. “When Dale Meyers said we were going to Mendota to look at a building for sale, I asked ‘Where is Mendota?’” he laughed. “Living in Rochelle, we always went north to Rockford for shopping or to Wisconsin, we never came south.”

Stocking began working as assistant manager at the furniture store in Mendota and after he and Pat married in 1988, she also moved from Rochelle to Mendota. “Both of us feel this is our home,” Stocking emphasized. “We just like it here. It’s a nice quiet town.”

Stocking went on to work for Meyers Furniture for many years and also was a cook at local restaurants including Le Bistro and then the Mendota Elks. “I thought that was only going to be for a couple years and 11 years later, I was still cooking at the Elks,” he said. “We also started Lord Stockings Catering, so I had that going, too.”

Later, Lee worked in the maintenance department at Mendota High School for 17 years. While there, he became interested in hosting foreign exchange students. “We weren’t able to have children so I told Pat we needed to do this,” he recalled. “She was kind of hesitant but then agreed, so we hosted an exchange student about every two years.”

Through the years, the Stockings were temporary parents to students from countries including Korea, Spain, Italy, Germany, Taiwan and Brazil. They still keep in touch with all of them and Skype with each one about once a month, Stocking said. They have also been fortunate enough to be able to visit all but one of the students in their home country.

Despite a busy work schedule, Stocking always found time to volunteer. He has been an instrumental part of the Union Depot Railroad Museum since its inception 22 years ago and was one of four people who started the demolition of the depot. He also felt it was important to get the two-block area by the depot landscaped, so he went to work looking for donations. After finding someone who would haul in dirt for free, he then asked the street department if they could haul in mulch. They agreed and once the mulch was in place, he went to the local nurseries and asked if they would donate trees and bushes, which they did. “We got everything planted and now my job is to maintain it, which I’ve been doing for 22 years,” he laughed. “They always tell me, that’s your job until you die, Lee. So, I spray and pull weeds and trim bushes.”

Not afraid to ask for donations, Stocking was also able to get materials donated for construction of the gate towers at the museum. “I talked to - at that time it was Coop and Alexander Lumber - and they both agreed to donate the materials for us and some of the guys at the depot built them,” he said. “Harry Schaller always joked that he never got a bill from me because I always got everything donated.”

Another big job Stocking took on was raising money for the Museum’s dining car restoration. “I said I would try and we did it.”

In addition to the Museum, Lee has always been active with local service clubs, volunteering whenever they need help. He cooks for the Knights of Columbus fish fries, which he has done for the past seven years. “I enjoy cooking, I like to help and I think it’s a good thing for the community,” he said.

Outside of his work in Mendota, Lee is also a volunteer docent at the Hegeler Carus Mansion in LaSalle, where he has been giving tours for about 22 years.

For many people, the value of volunteerism is something they learn at an early age. Such was the case for Stocking who mainly credits his mom for always telling him that we are supposed to help people and always try to help elderly people, too. Growing up she emphasized the importance of taking care of people and of being nice to them. He also saw his parents, who were farmers, helping other farmers and receiving help when needed. “But my mom is probably the one who really pushed me into volunteering,” he said. “She would say, ‘you’re supposed to volunteer’ and I still remember that. That probably helped me more than anything.”

Outgoing by nature, Stocking enjoys meeting people and doing things for the community. “That’s why I like being an ambassador for the Chamber because I think the Chamber does a lot for the community and I’ve always been proud to be on the Chamber,” he said. “And our service clubs do so much for the youth. The sad part is we’re not getting many new people in the service clubs because the youth don’t have time to help.”

Usually not at a loss for words, Stocking kept his acceptance remarks at the dinner very brief, simply thanking everyone for the honor. “I was shocked and I didn’t know what to say - it’s still a shock,” he admitted. “I knew Horace Hume for years. He and his wife, Dorothy, used to come to our house for parties, so that makes it even nicer to win the Horace Hume Award because I knew him. He was a nice, nice person and he did a lot for our community.”

Stocking said he has volunteered over the years simply because he wanted to do things for his community, but he admitted it was nice to know his work was valued. “I thank everybody who nominated me,” he said. “I felt honored that people appreciated my work and recognized me for it. It was a nice gesture.”