AURELIA ILSE GUFFEY

Mrs. Aurelia Ilse Guffey was born in Westphalia, Missouri, and has been involved in the hatchery business all of her working life. She started in hatchery work as an office helper with the Hilkemeyer Brothers Hatchery in Westphalia. She later transferred to Jefferson City, Missouri, as manager of one of their hatcheries and subsequently managed hatcheries in a number of cities for the growing hatchery company.

In the early 1930, Mrs. Guffey, then Miss Aurelia Ilse, was transferred to Greensboro, North Carolina, as manager of the Carolina Hatcheries and made a business partner to the Hilkemeyer Brothers. They were producing 25,000 chicks per week.

Mrs. Guffey was married to Samuel Edward Guffey, one of the breeding flock supervisors, soon after arriving in North Carolina. Mrs. Guffey expanded the Carolina Hatcheries business rapidly and became manager of the North Carolina broiler operations following the early death of both Leonard and Albert Hilkemeyer. The hatchery grew from one operation producing 25,000 per week to a peak of seven hatcheries and a capacity of over one million chicks per week. One of these seven Carolina Hatcheries is still operating as Western Carolina Hatcheries in Morganton with Mr. C. A. Schoenen as owner and manager. Mrs. Guffey retired from the hatchery business in 1974.

Mrs. Guffey was truly a pioneer in developing the hatchery and broiler industries in North Carolina, and the North Carolina Poultry Federation is pleased to induct her as a member of the North Carolina Poultry Hall of Fame.