Tombstone Tuesday

Thomas William Wilson Thomas William Wilson was the eldest son (and third-born child) or Charlie Wilson and Katie Beville. He was born in New Orleans, LA but by age 10 had moved to Memphis with his family. Beyond these scant vital statistics, little is currently known about the life of Thomas. He served bravely during World War 1, but records of his service remain elusive. Family rumor says he once played professional baseball - maybe in St. Louis. But the combination of a common name and turn-of-the-century baseball records yields disappointing results. He was married to Billie Faye; Billie proceeded him in death and is buried beside him. According to his brief obituary, Thomas was a retired employee of the Love Automatic Sprinkler Company.

Personal Data		Tombstone Data
Birth:	9 May 1898	City:	Memphis, TN
Marriage:	Unk to Billie Faye	Cemetery:	Calvary
Death:	12 Jan 1968	Section:
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Tombstone Tuesday

Claude W. Wilson Claude Wilson was the fourth of nine children born to Charlie Wilson and Catherine Beville. Although he was born in New Orleans, LA, by the time he was ten years old, the family had moved north to Memphis where his father found work in the cotton industry.  After attending both grammar school and four years of high-school, Claude began a mechanical apprenticeship with the Illinois Central Railroad.  A very mechanically-inclined individual, he went on to serve in various engineering positions with the railroad. In 1947, he even won a $100 award for one of his inventions (see photograph below).  His nephew, Paul, remembers him constantly tinkering with things and inventing contraptions.  By the 1950s, the transportation environment of the United States had changed and the railroad could no longer support a massive workforce; Claude was laid off. He worked as a machinist for the Memphis Fire Department until his death in 1961. Claude, sister Ursula Wilson Cardall, and infant nephew Paul Klinck on the day of his baptism (Claude and Sula were god parents). Interesting Note: Except for New Orleans and a brief stay in a home on Lauderdale Street in Memphis, Claude lived in the same house his entire life. 1027 East McLemore was his address as early as 1920. Even after his father passed in 1932 and his mother later in 1949, Claude and his sisters Clare and Helen remained in the home.  Helen and Clare stayed after Claude’s death in 1961, only moving when the city forced them to sell the property to make way for 1-240. Family Business: City directories show Claude owning Wilson Liquor Store at 849 South 3rd street between 1941 and 1943 (the last online directory available). This was news to the family; further research is required. His brother-in-law, Merrill Klinck, owned Klinck’s Package Store on Thomas for many years. And at one point, Merrill and brother, Fire Chief John C. Klinck, co-owned a store on 3rd. Is this the same store? Mystery!

A rare photo strip from the same sitting

Excerpt from Illinois Central Magazine, May 1947

Personal Data		Tombstone Data
Birth:	11 Sep 1900	City:	Memphis, TN
Marriage:	N/A	Cemetery:	Calvary Cemetery
Death:	25 Mar 1961	Section:
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Tombstone Tuesday

Rita Kathryn Wilson Rita Kathryn Wilson was the youngest of nine children born Charles Wilson and Katie Beville in Memphis, TN. Rita attended Catholic High School (now Immaculate Conception High School). When she was 22, she married her classmate, Merrill Klinck; they honeymooned in Chattanooga. Between 1947 and 1957, Rita had four children and spent her life raising them – especially her youngest daughter, Mary Anne, who developed cerebral palsy after contracting the measles when she was only two years old. On top of her family and her household, Rita also spent her life caring for those less fortunate than herself. Throughout her lifetime, she volunteered for organizations like Meals on Wheels, Mothers’ Club, the Altar Society, and her parish Health Center. She also acted as a room mother and St. Michael’s (where her children attended grade school) and as a Pink Lady at St. Francis Hospital. When she wasn’t crossing tasks off her To Do list, Rita was running around town with her girlfriends. She and close friends like Sarah Jane Webb, Dorothy McCarty, Betty Thompson, Eleanor Russell, Edna Griffin, Betty Schuster, and Irene Wilson maintained lifelong friendships while getting together for Bunco, canasta, sewing club, and no doubt, sweetly Southern gossip.
Fun fact: Despite the collection of gorgeous photographs we have of Rita, she wasn't a fan of having her picture taken. In fact, for every candid photo, there is probably a twin with her hand in front of her face.

Personal Data		Tombstone Data
Birth:	18 Nov 1915	City:	Memphis, TN
Marriage:	19 Oct 1938 to Merrill Klinck	Cemetery:	Calvary
Death:	8 Jan 2006	Section:
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Tombstone Tuesday

Helen Marie Wilson Helen Marie Wilson was the 8th of 9 children born to Charles Joseph Wilson and Kathryn Beville.A devout Catholic, she lived a quiet life at home. Although she was once engaged, her betrothed, Mr. Gene Pender, died suddenly before the wedding; Helen never married. However, Helen is the star of a famous Klinck Family legend! Sometime in the late 1970s/early 1980s, the Wilson sisters decided to consolidate households. At the time, Claire and Helen were living together on Forrest (Memphis, TN), while Sula lived with her deceased husband’s sister, Mamie Cardall. The relator they consulted delivered bad news: there was no way they could sell the house on Forrest without first replacing the roof – a project that would cost $3800. Unfortunately, that was $3799.99 more than they had. So Helen prayed. And prayed. And prayed. In fact, she said an entire novena (series of prayers said for nine straight days)! Within days of completing her novena, Helen checked the mail. Inside was a letter from the Social Security office. “Please forgive us,” they said. “We’ve been underpaying you by almost $100 per month for several years!” Enclosed was a check for $4100! The Wilson Sisters: Clare, Sula, Rita, Helen Helen Wilson, Rita Wilson Klinck, Kristin Klinck Petersen. c.1975

Personal Data		Tombstone Data
Birth:	3 Feb 1912	City:	Memphis, TN
Marriage:		Cemetery:	Calvary
Death:	27 Jul1990	Section:
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