William J. Raymond was born in 1921, the son of John B. Raymond, a machinist in San Pedro, California, and the former Dora Thelma Farnsworth. His grandparents were Will and Jennie Raymond of Tennessee; and Joseph and Agnes Farnsworth, formerly of Idaho.
Through his mother, Billie was a descendant of four Mayflower families and had common ancestors with Presidents Taylor, Grant, and Franklin Roosevelt. Billie's grandfather, Joseph Farnsworth, served on the Long Beach (California) City Council.
Billie's parents divorced when he was a baby. His mother married Virgil B. Walker (1902-1969) in 1927, and in the last year of his life Billie was also known as Billie Walker.
Billie died in a flu epidemic in 1928. Decades after his passing, he was remembered by relatives as a happy, playful child. He was also bright.
His mother recalled visiting his school one day to check in on him but he was not in his usual classroom. She found he had just been advanced two grades.
"I remember mom really loved her little cousin Billy and was devastated when he died," Linda Schoepe wrote on Nov. 8, 2015. "The story I heard was that [he and his parents] were going to come up to the ranch the next morning, where my grandparents lived, and Billy wasn't feeling good so they cancelled their trip and he was dead the next morning. My mom was eight and adored her little cousin. She was devastated. She mentioned him often through the years."
Another relative, Christine Berry (Virgil's aunt), had fond memories of him 50 years after his passing. "He was the apple of everyone's eye," she said.
Billie was interred at Angeles Abbey in Compton, California, close to where his mother and maternal grandparents would later be interred. His brother, Dickie, would be born seven years later.
Through his mother, Billie was a descendant of four Mayflower families and had common ancestors with Presidents Taylor, Grant, and Franklin Roosevelt. Billie's grandfather, Joseph Farnsworth, served on the Long Beach (California) City Council.
Billie's parents divorced when he was a baby. His mother married Virgil B. Walker (1902-1969) in 1927, and in the last year of his life Billie was also known as Billie Walker.
Billie died in a flu epidemic in 1928. Decades after his passing, he was remembered by relatives as a happy, playful child. He was also bright.
His mother recalled visiting his school one day to check in on him but he was not in his usual classroom. She found he had just been advanced two grades.
"I remember mom really loved her little cousin Billy and was devastated when he died," Linda Schoepe wrote on Nov. 8, 2015. "The story I heard was that [he and his parents] were going to come up to the ranch the next morning, where my grandparents lived, and Billy wasn't feeling good so they cancelled their trip and he was dead the next morning. My mom was eight and adored her little cousin. She was devastated. She mentioned him often through the years."
Another relative, Christine Berry (Virgil's aunt), had fond memories of him 50 years after his passing. "He was the apple of everyone's eye," she said.
Billie was interred at Angeles Abbey in Compton, California, close to where his mother and maternal grandparents would later be interred. His brother, Dickie, would be born seven years later.
William J. Raymond was born in 1921, the son of John B. Raymond, a machinist in San Pedro, California, and the former Dora Thelma Farnsworth. His grandparents were Will and Jennie Raymond of Tennessee; and Joseph and Agnes Farnsworth, formerly of Idaho.
Through his mother, Billie was a descendant of four Mayflower families and had common ancestors with Presidents Taylor, Grant, and Franklin Roosevelt. Billie's grandfather, Joseph Farnsworth, served on the Long Beach (California) City Council.
Billie's parents divorced when he was a baby. His mother married Virgil B. Walker (1902-1969) in 1927, and in the last year of his life Billie was also known as Billie Walker.
Billie died in a flu epidemic in 1928. Decades after his passing, he was remembered by relatives as a happy, playful child. He was also bright.
His mother recalled visiting his school one day to check in on him but he was not in his usual classroom. She found he had just been advanced two grades.
"I remember mom really loved her little cousin Billy and was devastated when he died," Linda Schoepe wrote on Nov. 8, 2015. "The story I heard was that [he and his parents] were going to come up to the ranch the next morning, where my grandparents lived, and Billy wasn't feeling good so they cancelled their trip and he was dead the next morning. My mom was eight and adored her little cousin. She was devastated. She mentioned him often through the years."
Another relative, Christine Berry (Virgil's aunt), had fond memories of him 50 years after his passing. "He was the apple of everyone's eye," she said.
Billie was interred at Angeles Abbey in Compton, California, close to where his mother and maternal grandparents would later be interred. His brother, Dickie, would be born seven years later.
Through his mother, Billie was a descendant of four Mayflower families and had common ancestors with Presidents Taylor, Grant, and Franklin Roosevelt. Billie's grandfather, Joseph Farnsworth, served on the Long Beach (California) City Council.
Billie's parents divorced when he was a baby. His mother married Virgil B. Walker (1902-1969) in 1927, and in the last year of his life Billie was also known as Billie Walker.
Billie died in a flu epidemic in 1928. Decades after his passing, he was remembered by relatives as a happy, playful child. He was also bright.
His mother recalled visiting his school one day to check in on him but he was not in his usual classroom. She found he had just been advanced two grades.
"I remember mom really loved her little cousin Billy and was devastated when he died," Linda Schoepe wrote on Nov. 8, 2015. "The story I heard was that [he and his parents] were going to come up to the ranch the next morning, where my grandparents lived, and Billy wasn't feeling good so they cancelled their trip and he was dead the next morning. My mom was eight and adored her little cousin. She was devastated. She mentioned him often through the years."
Another relative, Christine Berry (Virgil's aunt), had fond memories of him 50 years after his passing. "He was the apple of everyone's eye," she said.
Billie was interred at Angeles Abbey in Compton, California, close to where his mother and maternal grandparents would later be interred. His brother, Dickie, would be born seven years later.
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