William Len Adkins (1922 - 1986)

Born 20 Jan 1922 in West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois, USA

Ancestors

Husband of Lois Lucille (Buttrum) Adkins — married 6 Feb 1943 in Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States

Descendants

Died 20 Mar 1986 at age 64 in Boone, Illinois, USA

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Fred Sheffield [send private message] and Cheryl Martin [send private message]

Biography

Name

William Len /Adkins/

"Bill" Adkins

Birth

XX.I.MCMXXII

William Len Adkins was born at 11 P.M. on Friday, the 20th of January, 1922 to Charlie Adkins, age 32, & Bertha (Taylor) Adkins, age 30, in West Frankfort, Franklin County, Illinois, United States.^[1][2]

William Adkins was born a "Coal Miner's Son," in a coal mining town.

Description

Sex

Male

Complexion

Light

Race

White

Eyes

Blue

Height

5 feet, 9 inches tall.

Weight

141 lbs

Zodiac

Capricorn

Birthstone

Garnet

Siblings

His brother, Otis Charles Adkins was born on the 22nd of September, 1913 in Sanburn, Johnson County, Illinois.

His sister, Clarice Elizabeth Adkins was born on the 22nd of April, 1917 in Tunnel Hill, Johnson, Illinois, United States.

His sister Vivian H was born on Thursday, the 18th of June, 1925, in West Frankfort, Illinois, when William Len was 3 years old.

His sister Maxine Louise was born on the 1st of March, 1927, in West Frankfort, Illinois, when William Len was 5 years old.

His brother Virgil Wayne was born on the 9th of December, 1932, in West Frankfort, Illinois, when William Len was 10 years old.

His brother Jimmy Leon was born on 16th of February, 1936, in West Frankfort, Illinois, when William Len was 14 years old.

Residence

1930

19th of April, 1930

William, age 8, lived with his grandparents, Tom & Martha Taylor, his parents, & four siblings.

Bloomfield Township, Johnson, Illinois, United States^[3]

1940

15th of April, 1940

William, age 18, lived with his parents, & four of his six siblings.

West Frankfort, Denning, Franklin, Illinois, United States^[4]

1950

6th of April, 1950

William Adkins, 28 lived with his wife and three daughters.

S. Jackson

Frankfort Township, Franklin County, Illinois, United States^[5]

8th of December, 1950

Rainbow Gardens, Boone, Illinois, United States.^[6]

Rainbow Gardens dance hall, on Route 20 east of Belvidere, before you get to Garden Prairie, was built in 1924, closed in 1958 and torn down between 1966 and 1975. There were cabins behind the dance hall, which could be rented by the day/night or by the week. Rainbow Gardens was incorporated as a village in 1951, enabling the dance hall to operate around the clock. Customers, once danced to the music of Guy Lombardo, Tiny Hill, Art Kassel, Clyde McCoy, Wayne King and other nationally known bands.^[7]

1951

4th of December, 1951

Marengo, McHenry, Illinois, United States.^[8]

1959

The William Adkins family lost their home in a fire, on Wednesday, the 21st of January, 1959.

"2nd time this month that tragedy has struck the Adkins family."

Ramsey Heights, West Frankort, Illinois, United States.^[9]

1966

Property

Bonus Township, Boone, Illinois, United States.^[10]

1969

Purchased a home on Pearl Street.

Belvidere, Boone, Illinois.

1973

Purchased a 40 acre farm & home at 11634 Woodstock Road.

Rural Garden Prairie, Boone County, Illinois.

1980

Mr. and Mrs. William Adkins have moved into the late Clint Hendrickson house which they purchased along with the store building on US Route 20.

Garden Prairie, Boone, Illinois, United States.^[11]

1985

Mr. & Mrs. William Adkins purchased a home at 312 North Taft Street in West Frankfort, Illinois in preparation of his wife, Lucille's upcoming retirement. The home was being renovated at the time of Bill's death in 1986. So, he never actually got to live there with his wife. An art deco overhead sconce lamp from the Garden Prairie home's breakfast nook was installed in the kitchen.

Marriage

Marriage between William Adkins of West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois and Lois Lucille Buttrum of Johnston City, Williamson, Illinois.

Witnessed by Justice of the Peace, Gust Schultz, on the 6th day of February, 1943.

Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States.^[12][13][14]

Children

1

Daughter

Betty Elaine Adkins was born on the 1st of November, 1943.

West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois, United States.

Elaine, 18, became Mrs. Ronald L. Ingram on the 30th on November, 1961 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States.^[15][16]

2

Daughter

Loretta Fay Adkins was born on the 26th of November, 1944.^[17]

West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois, United States.

Loretta, 13, had her left leg amputated at the University of Illinois Research Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. After physicians discovered she had bone cancer, following a fall in the West Frankfort Central Junior High School gymnasium, on the 20th of January, 1958.^[18][19]

Loretta Fay Adkins, 14, of Ramsey Heights, West Frankfort, died at 12:50 A.M. on the 2nd of January, 1959 at Union Hospital in West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois, United States.^[20]

3

Daughter

Living

4

Daughter

Sharon Lynn Adkins was born on Wednesday, the 6th of December, 1950.

In St Joseph's hospital, weighing eight pounds, one ounce.

Belvidere, Boone, Illinois, United States.^[21]

Sharon, 15, became Mrs. Harold D. Spiller on the 3rd of May, 1966 in Herrin, Williamson, Illinois, United States.^[22]

5

Daughter

Living

Church

Bill was a member of the First Christian Church in West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois, United States.

Draft Registration

World War II

1st of November, 1942

West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois, United States.

Education

Educated in West Frankfort Schools.

Completed the 6th grade.

Occupation

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

Bill worked for the CCC, building & improving state parks in Illinois. Probably, sometime between 1939 - 1942.

On the 5th of April, 1933, President Roosevelt signed an executive order for Emergency Conservation Work, which would come to be known as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).

Since October 1929, more than 9,000 banks had failed, farmland values had dropped by more than 30 percent, and drought and poor farming practices had decreased the acreage of tillable farmland. Unemployment averaged 25 percent nationwide and was above 60 percent in southern Illinois.

Unemployed males between the ages of 18 and 25, from a family on welfare or public assistance, were eligible to enroll for a six-month stretch and could serve up to a maximum of two years. The government provided food, clothing, medical attention, housing and basic education. They were paid $30 a month for 40 hours of work each week. Approximately $22 to $25 was sent home to the enrollee’s family.

The work was hard, but for many it was the first time in their lives they had medical and dental attention, or even a second pair of shoes. For once, food was plentiful. According to one recruit, “At home it was beans and cornbread or cornbread and beans, not much of either, and sometimes none. I gained about 15 pounds in my first three months in camp.”

The CCC was immensely popular, but Pearl Harbor effectively ended it. With the establishment of the draft and with industry gearing up for the war effort, the government no longer needed to subsidize work. In 1942, the last camps were dismantled or repurposed for the army.^[23]

Local Produce delivery

Bill worked delivering produce for a local company, when he met Lucille Buttrum. She received his produce deliveries as a cook at the elementary school in Johnston City, Illinois, before they were married in 1943.

Manufacturing/Laborer

1950

Bill came to Boone County, & then to McHenry County.

Bill was most likely attracted to manufacturing employment in the Marengo area.

Arnold Engineering Co. was one of the area's largest employers.

The factory is located at 300 North West Street, Marengo, McHenry County, Illinois.

The company is a leading magnet manufacturer of high-quality permanent magnets, magnetic assemblies, precision thin metals, flexible composites, and electromagnets.

Arnold Magnetic Technologies currently offers custom Alnico assemblies using Arnold's magnetic materials.

Entrepreneur/Sales/Independent Trucking

Seasonal Work Migration

Between West Frankfort & Garden Prairie.

Distance of 340 miles.

Bill sold residential coal to homes in Southern Illinois in the winter. He purchased & transported the coal in his truck from local coal mines.

Coal truck driver.

1960

"A 71 year old Johnston City man struck by a coal truck as he walked across Rt. 37 south of Johnston City, died early today in Marion Memorial Hospital."

"Loiselet crossed in front of a vehicle driving north, and stepped into Adkin's lane. Adkins drove his 1-1/2 ton coal truck onto the shoulder of the road to avoid hitting Loiselet, but the left corner of the bed struck him."

"Tire marks were found on the shoulder of the road where Adkins drove off. Anderson said Adkins narrowly missed crashing into a culvert."

6:10 P.M. Sunday, 28th of February, 1960

"William L Adkins, 38, 211 N. Parkhill St., West Frankfort, was headed south.^[24]

Bill & his wife, Lucille operated a produce stand during the summer, in Northern Illinois. Located on Highway 20, near Camp Epworth, Boone, Illinois, United States.

Camp Epworth is a wooded tract of 10 - 12 acres. Established by the Methodist church about 1896. At one time, included a tabernacle, dining hall, & about 80 cottages.^[25][26][27]

He would purchase & transport the produce by his truck. Many times he would haul a truck load of watermelons or tomatoes from farms in Alabama, or the "Bootheel" area of Missouri. He preferred to buy the Charleston Gray watermelon, the classic oblong watermelon.

His wife, Lucille, would sort the tomatoes. The Adkins family would sell a 3 pound basket of tomatoes or a watermelon for $1.00, at the produce stand near Camp Epworth. He, also, sold his tomatoes in 30 pound bulk to local Belvidere businesses, including the Dog 'N Suds restaurant.^[28]

Bill hauled sweet corn in the summer for the Green Giant cannery.

Falls Products Inc., machinist.

1966

Sycamore Manufacturing Co.

415 E. Railroad Ave.

Genoa, Dekalb, Illinois 60135

Manufacturer of Sycamore lawn mowers & lawn mowers sold under store brands like Sears, & Ace Hardware.

"Sycamore, ...anything else, just doesn't cut it!"

Entrepreneur/Business Owner/Restaurant

Prairie Kitchen

1981

US Highway Route 20, & Pleasant Street, Garden Prairie, Illinos, United States.^[29]

^[30]

Retirement

Falls Products Inc., machinist.

1981

Genoa, Dekalb, Illinois, United States.

Death

Bill died on the 20th of March, 1986 in Garden Prairie, Boone, Illinois, United States.^[31][32]

Burial

He was buried at Denning Cemetery next to his daughter Loretta.

March, 1986

Orient, Franklin, Illinois, USA^[33]

Sources

1. ↑ "Illinois, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945", FamilySearch, Entry for William Len Adkins and Unemployed At Present, 1 November 1942.
2. ↑ Illinois birth certificate
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1930", FamilySearch, Entry for Charles Adkins and Bertha Adkins, 1930.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1940", FamilySearch, Entry for Charley Adkins and Bertha Adkins, 1940.
5. ↑ "United States 1950 Census", FamilySearch, Entry for William Adkins and Lucille Adkins, April 6, 1950.
6. ↑ Belvidere Daily Republican, Belvidere, Illinois; Fri, Dec 8, 1950, Page 6
7. ↑ "Real Estate Boom Dooms Famed Dance Hall Village," Rockford Mornig Star, Rockford, Illinois; 16th of February, 1964
8. ↑ "District 8 School News," Marengo Beacon/Republican-News Marengo, Illinois, Thu, Dec 6, 1951; Page 11
9. ↑ "Donations for Fire Victims," Southern Illinoisan, Carbondale, Illinois; Fri, Jan 23, 1959, Page 3
10. ↑ "Bonus Township Personal Property Values," Belvidere Daily Republican, Belvidere, Illinois; Fri, Sep 9, 1966, Page 8
11. ↑ "Mr. & Mrs. William Adkins have moved," The Marengo Beacon News Marengo, Illinois, Thu, Sep 25, 1980, Page 12.
12. ↑ "Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991", FamilySearch, Entry for William Adkins and Lois Lucille Buttrum, 6 Feb 1943.
13. ↑ "Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991", FamilySearch, Entry for William Adkins and Lois Lucille Buttrum, 6 Feb 1943.
14. ↑ "Marriage License," Marion Weekly Leader, Marion, Illinois; Thu, Feb 11, 1943, Page 4
15. ↑ "Miss Adkins Is Engaged," Southern Illinoisan, Carbondale, Illinois; Thu, Nov 30, 1961; Page 6
16. ↑ "Betty Elaine Ingram Obituary," Union Funeral Home, 213 East Oak Street, West Frankfort, IL 62896
17. ↑ "District No. 8 School News," Marengo Beacon/Republican-News, Marengo, Illinois; Thu, Dec 6, 1951; Page 11
18. ↑ "West Frankfort Girl Loses Leg," Mt Vernon Register News, Mt Vernon, Illinois; Mon, Feb 03, 1958; Page 3
19. ↑ "Hospital Notes," Union, West Frankfort, Admitted:, Southern Illinoisan, Carbondale, Illinois; Tue, Jan 21, 1958; Page 13
20. ↑ "14 year Old Girl Dies Of Cancer," Southern Illinoisan, Carbondale, Illinois; 2 Jan 1959; page 3
21. ↑ "Births," Belvidere Daily Republican, Belvidere, Illinois; Fri, Dec 8, 1950; Page 6
22. ↑ "Sharon Lynn Spiller Obituary," Pyle Funeral Home, 1008 W. Broadway Blvd. Johnston City, IL 62951
23. ↑ The story of the CCC and its legacy in Illinois, by Jerry McDonald.
24. ↑ "Johnston City Man Dies After Accident," Southern Illinoisan, Carbondale, Illinois, Mon, Feb 29, 1960, Page 3
25. ↑ "Personal Matters," Harvard Herald, 27 Aug 1897, Harvard, Illinois
26. ↑ "Free Methodists' Buy Camp Epworth," Freeport Journal Standard, 26 Nov 1943, Freeport, Illinois
27. ↑ "Methodists' Camp East of Belvidere Is Offered for Sale," Harvard Herald 01 Jul 1943, Harvard, Illinois
28. ↑ As recalled by his daughter Linda Sheffield
29. ↑ "New Restaurant offers tempting fare," The Marengo Beacon News, Marengo, Illinois; Thu, Oct 15, 1981, Page 23
30. ↑ "New Restaurant," The Marengo Beacon News, Marengo, Illinois; Thu, Jul 2, 1981, Page 14
31. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch, William Adkins, Mar 1986; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
32. ↑ Illinois death certificate
33. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images, memorial page for William Adkins (20 Jan 1922–20 Mar 1986), Find a Grave Memorial ID 245734583, citing Denning Cemetery, Orient, Franklin County, Illinois, USA; Maintained by The Family Business (contributor 48094388).

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Frederick Sheffield for creating WikiTree profile Adkins-1359 through the import of Adkins Family Tree_2013-02-16.ged on Feb 16, 2013.

Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Frederick and others.