| Notes |
- From Gracey Flynn, 2014:
William Herbert Hoover
"Billy" was quite a charmer. he would cut school at Holy Trinity, and then to avoid trouble he would go fishing and return each time with enough fish to feed the sisters at Holy Trinity. This went on for quite some time till one of the nuns thanked his mother; needless to say, he attended a lot more school after that.
He worked for Treasury early in his life. He did one part of the formula that was used to create our nation's money. He later worked doing Hot Tar Roofing. He had quite a dark complexion, needless to say.
Once when he was very young his siblings had him in the attic where their father's stil was; they placed the tube into Billy's mouth and had him drink until he passed out on the floor. They found it funny to get the baby drunk and watch him stumble around.
According to his sister Marian, Billy had it the hardest; their parents divorced when he was still young and his mother took her pain out on him.
Billy ran off quite young and married but the marriage did not work out so Billy moved, but he did not believe in divorce, and, at the time of his passing, he was still married to his wife which came as a shock to many family members.
I always had a special bond with Uncle Billy. I remember when he came to live with us. He was so tall to me and his hands were so big, and yet he would brush my long hair with such gentleness. I would get up early in the morning to make his breakfast - burned bacon, scrambled eggs with ketchup, and strong coffee.
Each day after work he would toss a ball with me and after dinner he would disappear into his room and not come out until the next morning. I remember standing on the chair looking out the window waiting for him to come home with my sister and falling from the chair and breaking my finger.
I remember being in awe of this man, as animals seem to flock to him; they trusted him; even praying mantis would sit in his hand and not run. He was a very strong man who endured alot in his life. From a heart attack at the mere age of 46 to cancer a year or so later to 40 stab wounds and two punctured lungs to cancer a second time. During all of this, though, he was always there for me even only just to listen.
Billy was not perfect; he had faults like most people; but he had a heart of gold, and he treasured his mother no matter what and took care of her always.
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1928 - 1983 (54 years)
