William Patrick Herron

William married Patricia Ann Cleveland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Harold married Betty Jean Heinen. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

As reported by his son Harold W.:
Following his graduation from the Hale MO High School, Harold enrolled in the Chillicothe Business College - an advanced educational move for his time and place. After graduation, he was employed by the Brown Shoe Factory in Brookfield, MO. While in Brookfield he married Elaine Julia Irvin of Chillicothe, MO ca Fall or Winter of 1916-17. He was inducted into the army at Linneus, MO October 3rd, 1917 as part of the 3rd division of the first draft. He served in France with the AEF, first as a Field Clerk, but was promoted to the rank of Battalion Sergeant Major of company "C", Headquarters Battalion, GHQ, in France on the 20th of February, 1919. He was proud of the fact that he was for a time personal chauffeur to General "Black Jack" Pershing. His service number was: 2311903. He once told about standing in line in France for his turn to ride in an "aeroplane" a new and daring form of transportation in those days. As the aircraft was trying to land, the pilot lost control and it crashed and burned, killing both the pilot and his passenger. As he put it, I (his son) came that close to never being born; had he been one person sooner in the line, he would have been the one killed.

After the war (WWI) he was employed as a shipping clerk by the Burlington Railroad, until ca 1930 when he passed the required state board examination, and became one of the first male beauticians in MO (if not the first).

After my mother's death he continued operating the shop. Ca Fall of 1936 he married my mother's last apprentice, Susan Maples, who had stayed onto help.

At the onset of WWII they moved to Burlington, Iowa where Susie continued to operate the shop while he went back to the railroad as an "IOP division clerk". In Burlington, they resided at 2617 Columbia St, Flint Hills Manor.

He suffered a fatal heart attack over his lunch while at work on June 16, 1943. He was rarely ill, not even susceptible to the common cold.

Harold married Elaine Julia Irvin in 1916 in Chillicothe, MO. Elaine was born on 17 Apr 1892 in Chillicothe, MO; died on 13 Jan 1935. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

According to her son Harold W. Cleveland:
I recall seeing pictures of her taken during WWI in a nurses uniform, and I seem to remember hearing that she had served as an ambulance driver -an unusual occupation for a woman in those times. I find it believable because she was a very strong-minded person who was successful at anything she tried. She played piano "by ear", and was a pretty fair sketch artist.

To me, she seemed a big boned woman, but not fat - although she seemed to be constantly fighting a tendency toward over-weight. Other sources however describe her variously as being a small person with intense blue eyes; and a slender, vivacious person with black hair. (I recall her normal hair color being auburn, but she kept it dyed black because she felt, for some reason, that it was more appropriate in her profession.)

She had a fiery temper, but could be extremely charming. It was this latter attribute that made her so successful as a Beautician - women seemed drawn to her and her clientele ranged from the upper echelons of Hannibal (Mo) society to the local "Ladies of the Night". She was friend and confidant to them all, and by all reports well loved by her family.

An example of her open-mindedness was revealed by her reaction to her brother Oney's way of life; she disapproved of his life as a "bum" but admired him for living as he preferred - despite criticism from his family.

She was licensed by the state as an Beauty Culture Instructor and always had an apprentice or two helping in the "Salon" as she called it.

In 1933 she was diagnosed as suffering from colon cancer (a term not then used in polite society!) and after an extended period of illness and two major surgeries, she went into a coma in January of 1935, and on the 13th she died.