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-°- PERRY, HOUSTON COUNTY, GEORGIA, THURSDAY. OCT. 5, 196! ESTABLISHED 1870
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THE J. VERN WILLIS FAMILY, NEWCOMERS
Major and Mrs. Willis and sons, Rick, left, and Jay
J. Vein Willis Family, Newcomers
To Perry, Never Has a Dull Moment
BY HAZEL MITCHELL
There’s never a dull moment
around the home of Major and
Mrs. J. Vern Willis—newcomers
to Perry. Or at least it won’t be
if the pattern continues the same
as in other places they’ve lived.
Their two sons, Jay, 14, and
Rick, 12, hope so, as they thrive
on excitement.
The family’s interest centers
around whatever the Major is in
terested in at the moment, Mrs.
Willis says.
‘Right now he’s determined to
landscape the yard, plant grass
and have the whole thing in tip
top condition by next spring. He
is the original do-it-your-selfer,”
Mrs. Willis explained, “and usual-,
ly we have plenty going on when
he’s on a new project.”
For instance, when they were
living in Honolulu, before being
transferred to Robins, Major Wil- j
lis decided he wanted to learn
all about sailing. He purchased a [
sail boat, a book on the subject,
and proceeded to learn by experi
ence. The second time out, he fell
overboard. “Don’t panic,” he cau- 1
tioned his wife, “just heel to.”
She heeled to, or held to or tried
to. but while executing a sharp
turn, lost the younger son, Rick.
“What now?” she yelled to the
major. |
“Lower the sails,” he shouted
back, floating off into the wild j
blue yonder—with Rick sailing off
in the opposite direction. She tried
that and ran aground on the reef. |
What seemed like hours later, she,
was able to attract the attention of
other sail boat enthusiasts who
overtook Major Willis and Rick
calmly swimming toward shore — 1
against the tide. Many moons later, 1
she said, she was able to trust a
sail boat again and believe it or 1
not, she still likes sailing.
When Hawaii Became State
When Hawaii officially became]
a state, as usual, they were right i
in the midst of things. When the
announcement was made, schools I
were dismissed and the people,
young and old, went wild in jubila
tion.
“Everyone was running and
shouting, horns were honking,
whistles were blowing and where
was I? In the worst traffic jam
you ever saw in your life,” Mrs.
Willis said, “and my car gave out
of gas.”
While they were in Honolulu,
Mrs. Willis taught at Punahou, a
private school, reported to be the
largest such school west of the
Rockies. It was begun in 1841 by
missionaries and has grown from
the original stone building, which
still stands, to more than 30 build
ings with an average enroll
ment of 3,000 pupils. It is a col
lege preparatory school and was
mentioned by James Michener in
his book “Hawaii”.
One year, while stationed there,
they decided to spend Christmas (
in Japan.
‘When we left home, it was 87 (
degrees but on arriving in Tokyo
we found 30 degree weather,” Mrs.
Willis said. “In spite of the dif
ference we had quite a time, visi-
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| ting the large department stores 1
which were beautifully decorated
( for the holidays.”
, While there they made a trip to
i Tokyo Tower, the highest tower in
the world—even higher than the
Eiffel Tower, she explained.
‘The boys enjoyed the science
exhibits and we were all impressed
with the courtly manners of the
Japanese. In a bustling city of 8
million people, when they meet an
acquaintance, on the street each
one backs off and bows ceremoni
ously despite the fact other pe
destrians rae pushing and shoving
all around them.”
Decided to Be Farmer
Once during a four-year stretch
I when Major Willis was a civilian,
. he decided to farm, so he enrolled
(in an agriculture course at the
, University of Arizona and moved
to Rawl, Ariz., 50 miles from
j Yuma. He bought 20 acres and
I rented 350 more, growing alfalfa
i and bermuda for seed.
| There was nothing there but a
post office and after awhile Major
i Willis decided it was too much
trouble to drive all the way into
Yuma for provisions so he opened
i a store in the living room of their
home. The ranchers began buying
from him, the stock grew until
I finally it covered the whole down
stairs of the house.
1 The family had been relegated
'to the upstairs and by this time,
he decided it was time to branch
lout. He purchased a book on how
'to build blocks, bought the ne
cessary equipment and block by
i block, built a large store with only
the aid of a 13-year-old neighbor
l lad.
I “We really were proud to see
our customers,” Mrs. Willis said,
) “and not necessarily because they
bought something. They were com
pany. We were so happy to see
anyone who came in the door that
! we hung onto every word he said
1 while there. We listened so closely
j until finally we picked up a large
I Spanish vocabulary from the Mexi
can laborers employed on the
ranches in the area.”
“The nearest neighbors were at
least half a mile away. On special
' occasions we went into town
and the lights looked so beauti
ful. You can’t imagine how hun
gry you can get for city lights
unless you’ve lived in the desert
for awhile. In the summer the
temperature sometimes shot up to
126 degrees and oh, those miser
able dust storms! At the end of
each day, however, we felt like we
had accomplished something if
nothing more, the satisfaction we
got from knowing we had outwit
ted the desert one more day.”
It was not all work and dust,
Mrs. Willis hastened to say, for
when the ranchers entertained,
they did it on a grand scale. The
parties were always formal and
the standards of living high. Many
had their own planes and often
flew into Yuma to see a show or
to shop.
They Have Been Around
Other places where they have
lived include Washington State,
Greenville, S. C., and Montgom-
Houston JSSfome foumal
ery, Ala.
They met the day after he re
ceived his wings at Mather Field,
Calif,, and while she was still a
student at San Jose Teachers Col
lege.
Major Willis is Chief of the 4-
Engine Training Division of
CONAC. The family is Methodist
and their hobbies range over a
wide variety of subjects golf,
stamp collecting, swimming and
football.
In addition, the major has made
many lovely pieces of furniture
from Monkey pod, a wood native
to Hawaii. He has 20 volumes of
valuable stamps. He also likes to
cook, whipping up dreamy angel
food cakes from scratch and many
Hawaiian dishes from recipes ac
quired during the four years they
spent there.
He will be ready for retirement
in four years. Where? They have
n’t decided yet. Right now, the
Major says he’s too busy concen
trating on their yard at 1427 Nan
celon, to think of retirement.
There’s a chance he may go back
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ROUGHTON BROTHERS, 744 Main Street, Perry
to Honolulu where they still have
a home. Or maybe to a resort area
in another part of Hawaii, where
they purchased 15 acres near Ki
lauea Crater.
Sometimes they think it will be
to Mexico —the laborers did such
a good job of selling their coun
try when they came into the store
in Arizona, that the Willis family
thinks perhaps that country is one
of the few places in the world to
day where you can live an easy,
un hurried, un-worried way of life.
Or maybe retirement years will i
find them back in Arizona. What
with the Major’s determination to
try the impossible, it wouldn’t
surprise Mrs. Willis or the boys
if he decided to go back and set
out bermuda on those 20 acres
they still have in the Mohawk Val
ley. With his perseverance, chan
ces are he could do it too!
Mr. and Mrs, C. B. Owen of For
syth were the Sunday guests of
Mrs. J. O. Coleman and Mr. and
Mrs. Stanley Smith.
Funeral Conducted
For Mrs. Johnson
Funeral services for Mrs. Nellie
Hutchinson Johnson of Haralson,
widow of Hugh H. Johnson, were
conducted Thursday afternoon at
the Haralson Methodist Church,
Rev. Dan Welch and Rev. Jack
Lamb officiated. Interment was in
the church cemetery.
She is survived by one son, Wil
bur Lewis Johnson, Haralson; two
daughters, Mrs. Mary McNair,
I Mrs. Mack Lewis, Morgantown, N.
j C.; four brothers, H. G. Hutchin
son, Griffin; Col. Arthur G. Hut
chinson, Haralson; Dr. A. R. Hut
chinson, Calhoun; J. W. Hutchin
son, Birmingham, Ala.; five sis
ters, Mrs. Thomas F. Wyatt, Har
alson; Mrs. Lloyd S. Burns, Tuck
er; Mrs. T. V. Odom, Bradenton,
Fla.; Mrs. Clinton K. Cooper, Per
ry; Miss Martha Hutchinson, Bir
mingham, Ala. and Mrs. W. A.
Hutchinson, Orlando, Fla.
Read the Classifieds
Business Women
Will Aid Clinic
During the monthly meeting of
the Perry Business Women’s Club,
members agreed to serve as hos
tesses for the Stroke Rehabilita
tion Clinic which is being held
twice a month in Fort Valley. Mrs.!
Martin Austin spoke to the group
and explained the work being
done at the Clinic.
Club members will furnish re
freshments at specified times and
will also provide transportation
for patients in Houston county who
might like to attend.
Stroke victims arc reminded
that a call to Mrs. Price Satter
field at 429-1634 will be all that’s
necessary in order to attend those
clinics which are held on the se
cond and fourth Wednesday in
each month.
Those persons desiring further
information on this work are ask
ed to call Mrs. Martin Austin,
429-1049.
READ THE CLASSIFIEDS
14 Pages This Week !
SECOND SECTION
AFFIDAVIT OF OWNERSHIP
Georgia, Houston County
Personally appeared before the
undersigned officer, Emmit M.
Akin and William G. Etheridge
who on oath depose and say that
the sole proprietorship carrying on
a trade or business in the trade
name of AKIN DRUG COMPANY
is now owned and said business is
now carried on as a partnership by
Emmit M. Akin whose address is
1349 Main Street, Perry, Georgia,
and William G. Ethridge whose
address is 1315 Georgia Avenue,
Perry, Georgia.
The nature of said business is
that of a retail drug store.
This affidavit is made in accord
ance with the Act of the Georgia
Legislature approved August 13,
I 1929, and amended March 29,
1937, and March 20, 1943.
EMMIT M. AKIN
WILLIAM G. ETHRIDGE
Sworn to and subscribed before
me this 26th day of September,
1961.
CAROLYN S. WHIPPLE,
Notary Public
- 2tc. 10-5.
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