WILLIAM VINCENT BLAIR

The following bio was taken from page 116 of the book entitled "Rusk County History" compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed by Shirley Koym

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Rusk County TX Coordinator

William Vincent Blair was born in Laneville August 17, 1889. He was one of seven children born to John Blair and Florence Beasley Blair.

On March 11, 1914, William married Inez Irwin, daughter of J. T. and Lillie Irwin, also of Laneville. The first two years of their married life were spent living with her aunt. They then bought a farm two and one half miles from town and moved on it. Their only child, a daughter Maurine, was born July 17, 1916. They lived on the farm until she was in the second grade, at which time they bought a home close to the Laneville School. He continued to farm and was a substitute mail carrier.

Maurine was married December 11, 1941, to Virgil O. Cole, son of Mr. And Mrs. Roy B. Cole. He served in the Air Force from January 1942 to November 1945. Keith Cole was born to them April 15, 1952. From the time of his birth, Keith’s grandparents hoped he would grow up loving the farm and everything about it and would one day live in their home.

On May 31, 1979, Keith married Patricia Jones, daughter of C. A. and Julia Jones of the Roquemore Community. At age eighty-seven Grandfather Blair had to give up living alone, so Keith and Patricia did move into his home and he moved to Henderson. His great-granddaughter, Niki Rene Cole, was born August 4, 1980. Now at the age of ninety-two, he looks forward to spending the weekends with his daughter and playing with Niki.

Submitted by: Mrs. Maurine Cole