Willie Walter Phillip

Grandpa Phillip - Willie Walter Phillip

(Posted November, 2008)

born 9/25/1878, Rosedale IL, 130 years ago

married 8/6/1908 Fremont NE, 100 years ago

died 3/6/1953 Alliance NE, 55 years ago

married almost 45 years

fathered four sons - Kenneth Kermit, Jean John, Robert Ray, Leo Lane

17 grand children (10 boys, 7 girls)

Sharon was 10 years old when Grandpa Phillip (Willie) died. This is what she remembers about Grandpa Phillip:

• He sold honey, mattresses, clothespins with hooks on them, and address plates that could be seen when car lights shone on them (the clothespins were amazing - read the story below)
• He taught me to tie my shoes
• He taught me to write my name in cursive
• He taught me many string tricks - crow's feet, cradle, etc.
• He often dressed up, went out the back door of 507 Sweetwater, and came knocking on the front door when we (the young grandchildren) were there to scare us when we opened the door.
• He always gave every one of us grandchildren, at an early age, tastes of honey on his table knife.
• He always mixed up butter and honey to spread on bread. Still, to this day, that is the only way I eat honey.
• He drove a very old car (Grandma Alma Phillip) didn't like to ride in this car.
• He made the parchesi board that we all used to play parchesi
• He also made the 9-men morse board that we played - some may not know this game.
• Bill Phillip was born in August after Willie died in March. William (Bill) was named after Willie"

The only pictures I have been able to find are from 1940 - 1943. I'm sure there are others, but I'll have to hope someone else will post them if they have more pictures or......maybe I will gather them up on my travels back to Nebraska some time. Notice the Hat...every picture Willie is wearing what appears to be the same hat....except for the one inside picture. Probably he never wore a hat inside a home - wouldn't that tradition be nice to have been carried on.

1940 - Leo, Alma Willie








1940 - Willie with his mattress making machine






1942 - Willie, Jary, Ray












1943 - summer, Willie, Sharon, Ray











1943 - Jean, Maxine, Alma, Willie, Bernadine, Janice, Bob, Sharon, Ken, Harriet, Ray and Jary in the front





1943 - Willie, Sharon, Alma, Janice, Jary and Ray in front










1943 - Willie, Alma, Ray, Sharon











Any corrections to these pictures??? Let me know. Please post a comment for all to see or email me. singo2@verizon.net

Clothespin story - Mom and I could hang up diapers faster than anyone in the neighborhood (she may have been faster because I was so young). The clothespins had a clip on them. Mom (probably Maxine, Bernadine, and Zetta did the same) would take diapers out of the washer, clip them all together with the pins, and then go outside to the clothesline and just clip them on the metal line. It was so fast and easy - and particularly good in the winter time when it was too cold to be out for long. She also did the same with all the clothes, not just diapers. I just used that as an example, because so many diapers went through our washer with the four smaller brothers - Dick, Bill, Jim, and Paul. Picture is thanks to Judy Mann who still has Maxine's clothespins.