Born in his beloved McNeil, Arkansas at home. He served in the army as a cook during WWII and came home with shrapnel in his legs and hands. In July of 1946 he married Melba Alford and they had 3 children, identical twins Dennis Coda and Donald Basil Black (1947) and then Mary Lynn Black in 1957. Basil never met a stranger, was loved by many, won a jitter-bug contest when a teen, made the best homemade biscuits ever and was known to walk on his hands when younger. Crippled by rheumatoid arthritis, Basil retired at the age of 55 and died 4 years later of a heart attack. He is buried in Shiloh Cemetery where his family goes back several generations and where he talked about going to long before his death.
Born in his beloved McNeil, Arkansas at home. He served in the army as a cook during WWII and came home with shrapnel in his legs and hands. In July of 1946 he married Melba Alford and they had 3 children, identical twins Dennis Coda and Donald Basil Black (1947) and then Mary Lynn Black in 1957. Basil never met a stranger, was loved by many, won a jitter-bug contest when a teen, made the best homemade biscuits ever and was known to walk on his hands when younger. Crippled by rheumatoid arthritis, Basil retired at the age of 55 and died 4 years later of a heart attack. He is buried in Shiloh Cemetery where his family goes back several generations and where he talked about going to long before his death.
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SSGT US ARMY
WORLD WAR II
