Loren WILLIS FAMILY

WILLIS, SHAY, WARIN, OCONNOR, KEENAN, NEWBURN, DUGAN, STANLEY, MCNUTT, HANNON, MENDENHALL, HUFFMAN, LEPLEY, STONE, CULVER, WYMAN, CARR, ROBINETTE

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 9/2/2011 at 13:49:40

MALOY, IOWA CENTENNIAL HISTORY: 1887 - 1987
Family & Biographical Pages

LOREN WILLIS FAMILY

The WILLIS family moved to the Maloy area in October 1927. They lived on the "old" Tom SHAY Place northwest of Maloy near the county line.

Loren and Dallas WILLIS had three children: Wilma, Frank and Basil. Jerry was born near Maloy in 1934. While they lived there, the children rode the school bus (horse-drawn) driven by the WARIN boys.

In 1932 they moved to Missouri where they lived for two years. They returned to Maloy, and Wilma finished the eighth grade with her class, the graduating class of 1939. The family lived near the schoolhouse until 1938. They then moved to Mount Ayr following the death of their father in a construction accident [1937].

Frank died of viral pneumonia in 1950, and the mother died in 1977. Basil is at present [1987] very ill with cancer in Minneapolis. Jerry lives in Missoula, Montana.

Wilma has very fond memories of Maloy and the friends there include Kate O'CONNOR, her devoted primary teacher. Kate even took Wilma into her home for several days when the bridge in town washed away and she could not get home.

There were ten members of the class of 1939: Dorothy and Lee KEENAN, the Mildreds (NEWBURN and DUGAN), Clarence STANLEY, Dean McNUTT, Betty HANNON, Mary Jo HULL, Vic MENDENHALL and Maxine HUFFMAN. Another member, Lynette LEPLEY, died during their junior year.

Wilma has many memories. She recalls a STONE family whose children all had names beginning with "V", the basketball games during which the girls never were big time winners, but the boys were always on top, Maurice CARR as coach, the SHAYS - Maxine and Irene teaching and Rosalie just behind her in school, the LYNCHES, the CULVERS, the HANNONS and the WYMANS.

NOTES: Loren Orel WILLIS was born in Clay County, Missouri on May 1, 1898, and died in 1937. They were interred at Rose Hill Cemetery, Mount Ayr.

Basil Neil WILLIS was born in Harrison County, Missouri on February 22, 1927, and died in Minneapolis, Minnesota on February 1, 1987. He was a World War II and a Korean War Veteran, serving in the U.S. Navy. He married in 1957 Marjorie ROBINETTE who preceded him in death in 1976. His second wife Irene survived him. Basil was interred in Valley Memorial Park, Novato, California.

SOURCE: Maloy, Iowa Centennial History: 1887 - 1987 p. 200.

Courtesy of Mount Ayr Public Library

Transcription and Notes by Sharon R. Becker, August of 2011