Grandpa was the second Son of Benajah (Benjamin) Judson Hamby and Emma Pope Hunton Hamby. The first child born on his Father's land in Marietta after his Father returned from fighting in the Civil War.
William was the Brother to: David Coweta, Alice Lee Hamby Daniell, Lula Minerva Hamby Reed, Carrie Loutilla Hamby Hamby and Emma Mae Hamby Blackwell. Half Sibling to: Benjamin E., Robert Ernest, Cleo Marcellus, John Horace, Carl Eugene and Chessie Aquilla Hamby Bentley.
William grew up in Marietta and lost his Mother at age 9. His Father then married Marguarite Frey and gave William six more brothers and sisters making it a group of twelve children. Grandpa had a huge gift with the out-of-doors, but his Father wanted him to practice Medicine. He did study and finally was a Pharmacist, and worked for a time at a Pharmacy in Marietta. After many struggles with his Father, William moved away and headed West. He went to Scottsdale to work with a cousin on Camelback Mountain but there was little water and he heard of a need for Forestry men up in Idaho, so off he went. He started work in what is now the Nez Perce National Forest near Kooskia and made good friends of the local Norwegian families.
On 04 Feb 1906 he married Clara Gertrude Evenson in Kooskia, Idaho County, Idaho, she was 18 and he was 39. They were together for ten years and both worked very hard to start their family.
William and Clara had the following children: Rev. Chester Benjamin Hamby, Leta May Hamby Jones, Baby Violet, Zelia Carlena Hamby Passey Schwartz and Emma Louise Hamby Ryan.
Clara became ill with pneumonia during the winter of 1915 and her health just went bad from there and the family lost her Dec. 22, 1915, she was only 28 years old.
Grandpa took care of his little ones and his wifes family helped also, but Grandpa didn't want to stay where it was so cold. His heart was broken with the loss of first the Baby and then his lovely Clara to the cold. So off they moved to Arizona by train. It was an experience they spoke of often. When they arrived they found it still to dry to be able to farm. After a while, maybe a year or so they again moved to Coos Bay, Oregon so Grandpa could make a living by helping to put through roads in that area. They pretty much lived in a big tent during this time and occasionally a local lady would come to help with the children. But for the most part Leta took care of their home, cooking, cleaning and watching her sisters, while Chester worked as he could to help bring in an income too for the family. Grandpa just had Arizona in his blood and they finally returned to Scottsdale. He planted cotton, but it didn't really grow well in Arizona and the price dropped out of the market just when he went to sell his harvest. So he moved on to Alfalfa which worked out a lot better.
Grandpa was a voracious reader and he read to his children every night before bed by their oil lamp until they were all old enough to read on their own. He also instilled a love of music in his children. He played the organ back in Marietta, Georgia at his church during his younger days and played the banjo and fiddle for the family now in Arizona. Grandpa's one experience of owning a car came at a big price for him. My Grandma Leta told us of that fist time with a story of how as he brought the car home he tried to stop it and the car wouldn't stop. He went driving right through the barn door and out the back yelling, "Whoa, Whoa!" As if he was trying to stop a horse. He was able to finally stop the car but not without a fear of cars. He never wanted to drive much after that. In fact Cousin Mae, his oldest Grand daughter does not ever remember seeing him drive a car.
Grandpa and his children were a very close group, as the children married and moved away they got together weekly on Sunday for a family dinner. It was a major event and all of the Grandchildren have very strong memories of the food, music and singing. As the families moved further away he would travel to each child's home for a month or so and help with the grandchildren, he stayed a time in Wickenburg with Leta's family and then moved over to Phoenix where his boy Chester was a Pastor and took care of those grandchildren. Cousin Mae remembers him having dinner ready each night when her father Chester came home and them all having a glass of cold milk for dinner. He enjoyed reading and Cousin Mae says, "He always seemed to have a book or magazine in his hand." He wore his glasses near the tip of his nose and every once in a while he would nod off to sleep. He enjoyed listening to the radio and liked a program called, "Ma Perkins" and really enjoyed hearing "Kate Smith," sing. He was a very happy, positive person and had a way of making all feel real secure. After some years he moved over to Zelia's home and had his own trailer out back there in Phoenix and would walk around the block each evening with his Grandchildren. As he would walk children from the neighborhood joined them, it looked just like a parade with him telling them stories and singing songs.
Cousin Mae describes Grandpa as a man with a little round tummy, so he would wear suspenders to hold up his pants and he had blue eyes that sparkled when he spoke to you. His ears stood out a bit, but he had the most pleasant looking face, like he was perfectly at peace with himself. He enjoyed fishing and hunting and was known for his outstanding rifles and skills. He also enjoyed prospecting for Gold. He had an Indian friend and they would go for days up into the mountains digging for Gold. They didn't seem to have much luck but they sure had a good time doing it. He enjoyed long walks in the desert during the evenings and early mornings. And his family was the most important thing to him of all. He took ill and went to the hospital and they took out his appendix. But he developed peritonitis and passed away October 20, 1949 at age 83 years, 3 months and 19 days.
---------------(****)---------------
Headstone Photo added by Evleta Smith Gruber, who received it from Cousin Mae Hamby Morford.
All other Pictures are from my Cousin Mae Hamby Morford, her Father and my Grandmother were siblings, the children of William Virgil Hamby. Thank you Cousin Mae.
A Special Thank You to Cousin Mae for writing the majority of this biography of Great Grandpa.
William was the Brother to: David Coweta, Alice Lee Hamby Daniell, Lula Minerva Hamby Reed, Carrie Loutilla Hamby Hamby and Emma Mae Hamby Blackwell. Half Sibling to: Benjamin E., Robert Ernest, Cleo Marcellus, John Horace, Carl Eugene and Chessie Aquilla Hamby Bentley.
William grew up in Marietta and lost his Mother at age 9. His Father then married Marguarite Frey and gave William six more brothers and sisters making it a group of twelve children. Grandpa had a huge gift with the out-of-doors, but his Father wanted him to practice Medicine. He did study and finally was a Pharmacist, and worked for a time at a Pharmacy in Marietta. After many struggles with his Father, William moved away and headed West. He went to Scottsdale to work with a cousin on Camelback Mountain but there was little water and he heard of a need for Forestry men up in Idaho, so off he went. He started work in what is now the Nez Perce National Forest near Kooskia and made good friends of the local Norwegian families.
On 04 Feb 1906 he married Clara Gertrude Evenson in Kooskia, Idaho County, Idaho, she was 18 and he was 39. They were together for ten years and both worked very hard to start their family.
William and Clara had the following children: Rev. Chester Benjamin Hamby, Leta May Hamby Jones, Baby Violet, Zelia Carlena Hamby Passey Schwartz and Emma Louise Hamby Ryan.
Clara became ill with pneumonia during the winter of 1915 and her health just went bad from there and the family lost her Dec. 22, 1915, she was only 28 years old.
Grandpa took care of his little ones and his wifes family helped also, but Grandpa didn't want to stay where it was so cold. His heart was broken with the loss of first the Baby and then his lovely Clara to the cold. So off they moved to Arizona by train. It was an experience they spoke of often. When they arrived they found it still to dry to be able to farm. After a while, maybe a year or so they again moved to Coos Bay, Oregon so Grandpa could make a living by helping to put through roads in that area. They pretty much lived in a big tent during this time and occasionally a local lady would come to help with the children. But for the most part Leta took care of their home, cooking, cleaning and watching her sisters, while Chester worked as he could to help bring in an income too for the family. Grandpa just had Arizona in his blood and they finally returned to Scottsdale. He planted cotton, but it didn't really grow well in Arizona and the price dropped out of the market just when he went to sell his harvest. So he moved on to Alfalfa which worked out a lot better.
Grandpa was a voracious reader and he read to his children every night before bed by their oil lamp until they were all old enough to read on their own. He also instilled a love of music in his children. He played the organ back in Marietta, Georgia at his church during his younger days and played the banjo and fiddle for the family now in Arizona. Grandpa's one experience of owning a car came at a big price for him. My Grandma Leta told us of that fist time with a story of how as he brought the car home he tried to stop it and the car wouldn't stop. He went driving right through the barn door and out the back yelling, "Whoa, Whoa!" As if he was trying to stop a horse. He was able to finally stop the car but not without a fear of cars. He never wanted to drive much after that. In fact Cousin Mae, his oldest Grand daughter does not ever remember seeing him drive a car.
Grandpa and his children were a very close group, as the children married and moved away they got together weekly on Sunday for a family dinner. It was a major event and all of the Grandchildren have very strong memories of the food, music and singing. As the families moved further away he would travel to each child's home for a month or so and help with the grandchildren, he stayed a time in Wickenburg with Leta's family and then moved over to Phoenix where his boy Chester was a Pastor and took care of those grandchildren. Cousin Mae remembers him having dinner ready each night when her father Chester came home and them all having a glass of cold milk for dinner. He enjoyed reading and Cousin Mae says, "He always seemed to have a book or magazine in his hand." He wore his glasses near the tip of his nose and every once in a while he would nod off to sleep. He enjoyed listening to the radio and liked a program called, "Ma Perkins" and really enjoyed hearing "Kate Smith," sing. He was a very happy, positive person and had a way of making all feel real secure. After some years he moved over to Zelia's home and had his own trailer out back there in Phoenix and would walk around the block each evening with his Grandchildren. As he would walk children from the neighborhood joined them, it looked just like a parade with him telling them stories and singing songs.
Cousin Mae describes Grandpa as a man with a little round tummy, so he would wear suspenders to hold up his pants and he had blue eyes that sparkled when he spoke to you. His ears stood out a bit, but he had the most pleasant looking face, like he was perfectly at peace with himself. He enjoyed fishing and hunting and was known for his outstanding rifles and skills. He also enjoyed prospecting for Gold. He had an Indian friend and they would go for days up into the mountains digging for Gold. They didn't seem to have much luck but they sure had a good time doing it. He enjoyed long walks in the desert during the evenings and early mornings. And his family was the most important thing to him of all. He took ill and went to the hospital and they took out his appendix. But he developed peritonitis and passed away October 20, 1949 at age 83 years, 3 months and 19 days.
---------------(****)---------------
Headstone Photo added by Evleta Smith Gruber, who received it from Cousin Mae Hamby Morford.
All other Pictures are from my Cousin Mae Hamby Morford, her Father and my Grandmother were siblings, the children of William Virgil Hamby. Thank you Cousin Mae.
A Special Thank You to Cousin Mae for writing the majority of this biography of Great Grandpa.
Grandpa was the second Son of Benajah (Benjamin) Judson Hamby and Emma Pope Hunton Hamby. The first child born on his Father's land in Marietta after his Father returned from fighting in the Civil War.
William was the Brother to: David Coweta, Alice Lee Hamby Daniell, Lula Minerva Hamby Reed, Carrie Loutilla Hamby Hamby and Emma Mae Hamby Blackwell. Half Sibling to: Benjamin E., Robert Ernest, Cleo Marcellus, John Horace, Carl Eugene and Chessie Aquilla Hamby Bentley.
William grew up in Marietta and lost his Mother at age 9. His Father then married Marguarite Frey and gave William six more brothers and sisters making it a group of twelve children. Grandpa had a huge gift with the out-of-doors, but his Father wanted him to practice Medicine. He did study and finally was a Pharmacist, and worked for a time at a Pharmacy in Marietta. After many struggles with his Father, William moved away and headed West. He went to Scottsdale to work with a cousin on Camelback Mountain but there was little water and he heard of a need for Forestry men up in Idaho, so off he went. He started work in what is now the Nez Perce National Forest near Kooskia and made good friends of the local Norwegian families.
On 04 Feb 1906 he married Clara Gertrude Evenson in Kooskia, Idaho County, Idaho, she was 18 and he was 39. They were together for ten years and both worked very hard to start their family.
William and Clara had the following children: Rev. Chester Benjamin Hamby, Leta May Hamby Jones, Baby Violet, Zelia Carlena Hamby Passey Schwartz and Emma Louise Hamby Ryan.
Clara became ill with pneumonia during the winter of 1915 and her health just went bad from there and the family lost her Dec. 22, 1915, she was only 28 years old.
Grandpa took care of his little ones and his wifes family helped also, but Grandpa didn't want to stay where it was so cold. His heart was broken with the loss of first the Baby and then his lovely Clara to the cold. So off they moved to Arizona by train. It was an experience they spoke of often. When they arrived they found it still to dry to be able to farm. After a while, maybe a year or so they again moved to Coos Bay, Oregon so Grandpa could make a living by helping to put through roads in that area. They pretty much lived in a big tent during this time and occasionally a local lady would come to help with the children. But for the most part Leta took care of their home, cooking, cleaning and watching her sisters, while Chester worked as he could to help bring in an income too for the family. Grandpa just had Arizona in his blood and they finally returned to Scottsdale. He planted cotton, but it didn't really grow well in Arizona and the price dropped out of the market just when he went to sell his harvest. So he moved on to Alfalfa which worked out a lot better.
Grandpa was a voracious reader and he read to his children every night before bed by their oil lamp until they were all old enough to read on their own. He also instilled a love of music in his children. He played the organ back in Marietta, Georgia at his church during his younger days and played the banjo and fiddle for the family now in Arizona. Grandpa's one experience of owning a car came at a big price for him. My Grandma Leta told us of that fist time with a story of how as he brought the car home he tried to stop it and the car wouldn't stop. He went driving right through the barn door and out the back yelling, "Whoa, Whoa!" As if he was trying to stop a horse. He was able to finally stop the car but not without a fear of cars. He never wanted to drive much after that. In fact Cousin Mae, his oldest Grand daughter does not ever remember seeing him drive a car.
Grandpa and his children were a very close group, as the children married and moved away they got together weekly on Sunday for a family dinner. It was a major event and all of the Grandchildren have very strong memories of the food, music and singing. As the families moved further away he would travel to each child's home for a month or so and help with the grandchildren, he stayed a time in Wickenburg with Leta's family and then moved over to Phoenix where his boy Chester was a Pastor and took care of those grandchildren. Cousin Mae remembers him having dinner ready each night when her father Chester came home and them all having a glass of cold milk for dinner. He enjoyed reading and Cousin Mae says, "He always seemed to have a book or magazine in his hand." He wore his glasses near the tip of his nose and every once in a while he would nod off to sleep. He enjoyed listening to the radio and liked a program called, "Ma Perkins" and really enjoyed hearing "Kate Smith," sing. He was a very happy, positive person and had a way of making all feel real secure. After some years he moved over to Zelia's home and had his own trailer out back there in Phoenix and would walk around the block each evening with his Grandchildren. As he would walk children from the neighborhood joined them, it looked just like a parade with him telling them stories and singing songs.
Cousin Mae describes Grandpa as a man with a little round tummy, so he would wear suspenders to hold up his pants and he had blue eyes that sparkled when he spoke to you. His ears stood out a bit, but he had the most pleasant looking face, like he was perfectly at peace with himself. He enjoyed fishing and hunting and was known for his outstanding rifles and skills. He also enjoyed prospecting for Gold. He had an Indian friend and they would go for days up into the mountains digging for Gold. They didn't seem to have much luck but they sure had a good time doing it. He enjoyed long walks in the desert during the evenings and early mornings. And his family was the most important thing to him of all. He took ill and went to the hospital and they took out his appendix. But he developed peritonitis and passed away October 20, 1949 at age 83 years, 3 months and 19 days.
---------------(****)---------------
Headstone Photo added by Evleta Smith Gruber, who received it from Cousin Mae Hamby Morford.
All other Pictures are from my Cousin Mae Hamby Morford, her Father and my Grandmother were siblings, the children of William Virgil Hamby. Thank you Cousin Mae.
A Special Thank You to Cousin Mae for writing the majority of this biography of Great Grandpa.
William was the Brother to: David Coweta, Alice Lee Hamby Daniell, Lula Minerva Hamby Reed, Carrie Loutilla Hamby Hamby and Emma Mae Hamby Blackwell. Half Sibling to: Benjamin E., Robert Ernest, Cleo Marcellus, John Horace, Carl Eugene and Chessie Aquilla Hamby Bentley.
William grew up in Marietta and lost his Mother at age 9. His Father then married Marguarite Frey and gave William six more brothers and sisters making it a group of twelve children. Grandpa had a huge gift with the out-of-doors, but his Father wanted him to practice Medicine. He did study and finally was a Pharmacist, and worked for a time at a Pharmacy in Marietta. After many struggles with his Father, William moved away and headed West. He went to Scottsdale to work with a cousin on Camelback Mountain but there was little water and he heard of a need for Forestry men up in Idaho, so off he went. He started work in what is now the Nez Perce National Forest near Kooskia and made good friends of the local Norwegian families.
On 04 Feb 1906 he married Clara Gertrude Evenson in Kooskia, Idaho County, Idaho, she was 18 and he was 39. They were together for ten years and both worked very hard to start their family.
William and Clara had the following children: Rev. Chester Benjamin Hamby, Leta May Hamby Jones, Baby Violet, Zelia Carlena Hamby Passey Schwartz and Emma Louise Hamby Ryan.
Clara became ill with pneumonia during the winter of 1915 and her health just went bad from there and the family lost her Dec. 22, 1915, she was only 28 years old.
Grandpa took care of his little ones and his wifes family helped also, but Grandpa didn't want to stay where it was so cold. His heart was broken with the loss of first the Baby and then his lovely Clara to the cold. So off they moved to Arizona by train. It was an experience they spoke of often. When they arrived they found it still to dry to be able to farm. After a while, maybe a year or so they again moved to Coos Bay, Oregon so Grandpa could make a living by helping to put through roads in that area. They pretty much lived in a big tent during this time and occasionally a local lady would come to help with the children. But for the most part Leta took care of their home, cooking, cleaning and watching her sisters, while Chester worked as he could to help bring in an income too for the family. Grandpa just had Arizona in his blood and they finally returned to Scottsdale. He planted cotton, but it didn't really grow well in Arizona and the price dropped out of the market just when he went to sell his harvest. So he moved on to Alfalfa which worked out a lot better.
Grandpa was a voracious reader and he read to his children every night before bed by their oil lamp until they were all old enough to read on their own. He also instilled a love of music in his children. He played the organ back in Marietta, Georgia at his church during his younger days and played the banjo and fiddle for the family now in Arizona. Grandpa's one experience of owning a car came at a big price for him. My Grandma Leta told us of that fist time with a story of how as he brought the car home he tried to stop it and the car wouldn't stop. He went driving right through the barn door and out the back yelling, "Whoa, Whoa!" As if he was trying to stop a horse. He was able to finally stop the car but not without a fear of cars. He never wanted to drive much after that. In fact Cousin Mae, his oldest Grand daughter does not ever remember seeing him drive a car.
Grandpa and his children were a very close group, as the children married and moved away they got together weekly on Sunday for a family dinner. It was a major event and all of the Grandchildren have very strong memories of the food, music and singing. As the families moved further away he would travel to each child's home for a month or so and help with the grandchildren, he stayed a time in Wickenburg with Leta's family and then moved over to Phoenix where his boy Chester was a Pastor and took care of those grandchildren. Cousin Mae remembers him having dinner ready each night when her father Chester came home and them all having a glass of cold milk for dinner. He enjoyed reading and Cousin Mae says, "He always seemed to have a book or magazine in his hand." He wore his glasses near the tip of his nose and every once in a while he would nod off to sleep. He enjoyed listening to the radio and liked a program called, "Ma Perkins" and really enjoyed hearing "Kate Smith," sing. He was a very happy, positive person and had a way of making all feel real secure. After some years he moved over to Zelia's home and had his own trailer out back there in Phoenix and would walk around the block each evening with his Grandchildren. As he would walk children from the neighborhood joined them, it looked just like a parade with him telling them stories and singing songs.
Cousin Mae describes Grandpa as a man with a little round tummy, so he would wear suspenders to hold up his pants and he had blue eyes that sparkled when he spoke to you. His ears stood out a bit, but he had the most pleasant looking face, like he was perfectly at peace with himself. He enjoyed fishing and hunting and was known for his outstanding rifles and skills. He also enjoyed prospecting for Gold. He had an Indian friend and they would go for days up into the mountains digging for Gold. They didn't seem to have much luck but they sure had a good time doing it. He enjoyed long walks in the desert during the evenings and early mornings. And his family was the most important thing to him of all. He took ill and went to the hospital and they took out his appendix. But he developed peritonitis and passed away October 20, 1949 at age 83 years, 3 months and 19 days.
---------------(****)---------------
Headstone Photo added by Evleta Smith Gruber, who received it from Cousin Mae Hamby Morford.
All other Pictures are from my Cousin Mae Hamby Morford, her Father and my Grandmother were siblings, the children of William Virgil Hamby. Thank you Cousin Mae.
A Special Thank You to Cousin Mae for writing the majority of this biography of Great Grandpa.
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