William M. Below was born in Clay County Kentucky on September 16, 1898 to Joseph B. Below and Lucy Williams. His father passed away 2 years later in February of 1900. When the census was taken later that year his widowed 48 year old mother, Lucy, was holding down a farm with six children including 6 year old William. The family was living near Sturgis, Kentucky and living with them was Lucy’s 46 year old brother Samuel S. Dial. Lucy indicated that she had birthed 7 children and 7 were still living.
By the 1910 census, 16 year old William was located in Xenia, Illinois approximately 17 miles east of Salem, Illinois. William was living in the home of his brother in law Dr. Frank C. & Georgia Campbell and attending school.
When William filled out his WWI draft card in 1917 at the age of 21 he had moved to Salem, Illinois and was working as a railroad yard clerk. He was physically described as medium height, medium build, with brown eyes and dark hair. William enlisted in the Army on February 23, 1918 and was discharged on March 1, 1919.
In the 1920 census, 22 year old William was found living as a boarder in the home of Walter & Litha Jones in Johnston City, Illinois. William was working as a bookkeeper for a coal mine.
An article appearing in the Marion Semi-Weekly Leader reported that on December 15, 1921 William had gone to Chicago to marry Miss Medora Howard. Medora was originally from Xenia, Illinois and was the daughter of Cyrus and Addie Howard. She was born on March 5, 1894. The article also indicated that William was an official of the Cosgrove-Meehan Coal Company in Marion and that he had purchased a home at 409 E. Everett Street in Thorn Place for them to live.
An article from 1922 indicated that a large car show had been held on N. Market Street near the I.C. Depot with cars of all description available to buy. It noted that the Automotive Sales Co. of Marion sold William a 5 passenger Hupmobile touring car.
The Marion Daily Republican reported in September of 1923 that the couple had just given birth to their first child a daughter named Helen Irene Below.
It is clear that William, after his military service ended in 1919, continued on serving in the local military reserves. He was listed in 1925 as 2nd Lt. William Below as a committeeman to serve with the C.M.T.C. (Civilian Military Training Camp) to enlist recruits for the camp. Throughout the 1920’s he was held in close association with veteran groups and later the American Legion Post. This involved him, on a number of occasions, being part of the military firing squad at funerals where military rites were observed. One such occasion was in February 1927 at the military funeral of Lory Price. Price was a veteran and ex motorcycle state patrolmen murdered by the Birger gang. In 1929, William was listed as a member of the Marion American Legion Post 147 and served as Post Commander in 1931 and was finance officer in 1929.
An article from June 1929 indicated that the 344th Infantry, a reserve corp. regiment, was to be trained at Jefferson Barracks near St. Louis at the C.M.T.C. Camp with 1st Lt. William Below of Marion as Commander of the 1st Platoon, Company K.
In 1930, William served on one of the committees of the United Charities organization, which helped unemployed families during the depression era. In the same year, William was elected Secretary of the Reserve Officers Association. The census from that year, listed 35 year old William and 35 year old Medora as living at 409 E. Everett Street which they owned and valued at $5,000. William was working as Chief Clerk at a coal mine. The only child in the home was Helen Irene aged 6. The family did have a radio in their home.
In the spring 1931’s Marion city elections, Williams was elected as city commissioner under Mayor Charles H. Whitcomb. He served in the position of Finance Commissioner almost unbroken until 1937.
An article in the Marion Weekly Leader from March 1933 indicated that William along with S.K. Casey and a handful of others had driven to Washington, D.C. to witness the inauguration of Franklin D. Roosevelt. That same year, William became a member of the Williamson County Advisory Board.
In May of 1933, 1st Lt. William was ordered to Jefferson Barracks for duty in training the C.C.C. men of Southern Illinois in reforestation project throughout Illinois and some even assigned to California.
Even though, William’s duties with the reserves kept him at Jefferson Barracks for months he did make trips back to Marion to attend city council meetings. This appears to be problematic for the city who needed a more constant finance officer so in August of 1933, Mayor Whitcomb moved to temporarily remove William as Finance officer. An article in the Marion Weekly Leader from December 1933 indicated that William felt bad about missing time from the city so he voluntarily offered to pay for the repair of several street lights with the expenses coming out of his salary.
In 1934, William assumed receivership of the First National Bank of Sidell, Illinois. His job would have been to recover debts owed to the failed depression bank. Sidell is about 27 miles SE of Urbana, Illinos. William made trips back and forth to Marion for several months during this period of 1934.
An article appeared in the local paper in August of 1934 indicating that the Whittington-Wallace Drug Store at 605 Public Square was up for bid in Marion and had two high bidders, William Below and Roy Campbell. Campbell won that bid and spent at least four more decades in the drug business in Marion.
In the late 1930’s, William and his family moved on from Marion likely due to employment issues common to the depression. By the 1940 census, the family was living in a rental home at 205 Prairie Avenue in Danville, Illinois. 43 year old William had found employment as an office assistant at a beverage company. He reported having worked 34 weeks in 1939 and had recently worked 48 hours in the previous week before the census was taken. His income for 1939 was $1,200. Children in the home were Helen 16 and son Howard 8. William indicated that his education level was 1 year of high school, while Medora had finished 3 years of high school.
A Danville street directory from 1949 indicated the family was living at 932 W. Walnut Street with their two children Helen and Howard. William was listed as an accountant.
In the following year, when the 1950 federal census was taken, the family had already moved to Detroit, Michigan where 56 year old William was working as a loan examiner for a finance company. The couple were living at 12122 Monica Street and there were no more children in the home. William indicated that he had worked 48 hours the previous week and that he had worked 52 weeks out of the previous year making $4,700 in income.
After the stint in Detroit, the couple moved back to Danville, Illinois where they were located in a 1960 Danville street directory as living at 932 N. Walnuts Street with William working as a purchasing agent for the U.S. Government.
William passed away on December 11, 1973 in Danville and was laid to rest in Sunset Memorial Park. He was followed 9 years later by Medora who passed away on July 15, 1982 and was buried alongside William in Danville.
Notes on Children:
Dr. Helen Irene Below Capdevielle, born in Marion on Sept 24, 1923. Attended U. of Illinois and received a doctorate in 1969. Taught at Morton West High School from 1954 till retirement in 1984. Married Fernando Capdevielle, died in September 2023 and was buried in Danville.
Howard D. Below, Born in Danville in 1931, joined the USAF, achieved rank of Colonel, lived in San Bernadino near Norton AFB in California, possibly still living at this writing in 2024.
(Sources: Federal census records, WWI draft records, Marion Evening Post, Marion Weekly Leader, Marion Semi-Weekly Leader, Marion Daily Republican, Marion and Danville Street Directories, Illinois Marriage records, FindaGrave.com. Compiled by Sam Lattuca on June14, 2024)