Bill Brockus was a man of high integrity. He was quite successful in his life due to his honesty, hard work, and ability to understand the business world. He married Fannie O.D.Boston in 1940 and shortly after joined the Air Force where he was a tail gunner over Germany. During the war in 1943, his son, William C. Brockus III was born. After the war, he returned home and began his own company called Brockus Machine Company. After working it for nearly 20 hours a day for a few years, it became successful and in later years even produced parts for space shuttles. Bill had two more children, Susanne Kay Riddle-Haslinger (Brockus) and John Patrick Brockus. Bill was very well known in his town of Granite City and some of his activities included being a board member of the very bank that gave him his first loan while in his 20s; a third degree Mason and Shriner; a term of Police Comissioner for Granite City, and many other titles too numerous to mention. One of his legacies was that when his son, John, was born in 1954, Granite City's St.Elizabeth hospital had no air-conditioning. Bill had air-conditioning installed for the entire maternity ward. He was also an avid boatsman, golfer, bowler, and loved sports cars. He died of a heart attack at the age of 49 and never lived to see his grandchildren that include Joshua William Riddle; Juliette Suzanne Riddle; Thomas Patrick Brockus; John William Brockus; and Charles Henry Brockus. His great-grandchilren include Paige Channing Benton, Chloe Juliette Riddle, and Isabel Richelle Riddle.
Bill Brockus was a man of high integrity. He was quite successful in his life due to his honesty, hard work, and ability to understand the business world. He married Fannie O.D.Boston in 1940 and shortly after joined the Air Force where he was a tail gunner over Germany. During the war in 1943, his son, William C. Brockus III was born. After the war, he returned home and began his own company called Brockus Machine Company. After working it for nearly 20 hours a day for a few years, it became successful and in later years even produced parts for space shuttles. Bill had two more children, Susanne Kay Riddle-Haslinger (Brockus) and John Patrick Brockus. Bill was very well known in his town of Granite City and some of his activities included being a board member of the very bank that gave him his first loan while in his 20s; a third degree Mason and Shriner; a term of Police Comissioner for Granite City, and many other titles too numerous to mention. One of his legacies was that when his son, John, was born in 1954, Granite City's St.Elizabeth hospital had no air-conditioning. Bill had air-conditioning installed for the entire maternity ward. He was also an avid boatsman, golfer, bowler, and loved sports cars. He died of a heart attack at the age of 49 and never lived to see his grandchildren that include Joshua William Riddle; Juliette Suzanne Riddle; Thomas Patrick Brockus; John William Brockus; and Charles Henry Brockus. His great-grandchilren include Paige Channing Benton, Chloe Juliette Riddle, and Isabel Richelle Riddle.
