In the mid 1950's William was working on a farm, picking cotton and making $1 an hour. This is where he met Geneva Mae Stone. Geneva was born on 24th of July, 1936 in Durant, Bryan County, Oklahoma. She was the daughter of Ocie Calvin Stone and Eva Mae Witt. They married 9 Nov 1957. They had a daughter, the first of three. Denzil Mariea born on the 9th of September 1958.
Jimmie, grandpa's brother (how I was told) had moved to Ohio and was working at a paint manufacturing company and told my grandpa he could get him a job working with him making $2/hr. He told my grandmother "If you make this move with me, you will never have to work again." She agreed. They packed up their baby and the made the move to Ohio.
They had two more daughters after they moved. Brenda Lee was born on November 30th, 1960. On September 15, 1974 at Mercy Hospital in Canton, Ohio, Geneva gave birth to a sleeping baby. They named her Virginia Mae and she is buried in the Lamb's Garden of Sunset Hills Burial Park, in Canton, Stark County, Ohio.
They lived on Sandwith Ave SW in Canton for many many years, and would frequently camp, fish, and take road trips to Oklahoma and Texas to visit family members. He retired after a long career at Harrison Paint Corp on Harrison Ave SW, just blocks from their home.
In 1995 Geneva lost a long and arduous fight with ALS. She succumbed on July 25, 1995 in her home of 35 years, with her husband by her side. Bill never remarried, and never heard real whispers of him dating after she died. Bill found he had pancreatic cancer early in 2011. He passed away on 1st of October, 2011. Both Bill and Geneva are buried in Sunset Hills Burial Park on Everhard Rd in Canton, Ohio.
Children of William and Geneva
- Denzil Mariea "Rhea"1958-2009 (m1. Swinhart)^
- Brenda Lee 1960-2011* (m1. Williams*)
- Virginia Mae 1974-1974
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