Back

Willy Wilson -- a good buddy to my folks in the 1930's

Acutally I realize that I know very little about Willy. I have heard so many stories about him, that I have feeling of knowing him. I met him to my knowledge, only once, about 1952. He was not married at that time married but maybe he was divorced later? I have one postcard from him, in 1943, from Algeria.

I found a christmas card from this relatives in Ohio. If I recall correctly, his uncle was an executive in GM and his father a preacher. I understand that he rented a room in Mom and Dad's flat in Deland, wrote to his folks that he was staying with a middelaged couple, they were about three or four years older.

Then there is the story in Boston, Mom studied first at Sargent (a school for physical education) and she must have met him there or they were visiting friends. The party got loud, the police showed up, Willy went out the back door and stole the police car to drive home in. He left it parked in front of his house there were no problems.

Willy once had boil on his nose and my dad had just had the idea of filling the bottle with steam, applying it to the nose, and then cooling it. This vacum worked better that expected, drawing his nose out and into the bottle. Dad had to break the bottle.

Evidently when Mom and Dad moved to Cleveland, Willy followed. He was doing some sort of sales work and Mom was teaching. He would show up at 3 PM "It's Ma Perkins time." almost every day, when obviously he should have been selling things.

A year after I wrote this (Sept. 2005) I found the following essay, I assume it was for high school, but am not sure. It was entitled Unforgetable CharacterI assume it was written by John, but am not sure.

At the moment the picture with Mom and Dad is sadly the only photo I have of him. I believe he passed away in 1982, but am not really sure.