WILLIAM AND DORIS LONDRY WENZEL

The photo is of:  sitting - William and Doris Londry Wenzel - standing Mrs. Tom Londry (Doris's mother)

William August “Bill” Wenzel was born on 23 June 1898 in James Township, Saginaw County, Michigan to George and Bertha Gunther Wenzel Sr. Bill married Doris Londry on 20 November 1918 in Saginaw, Saginaw County, Michigan by J.W. Westendorf, Lutheran Minister. Doris was born 26 September 1900 in Lafayette Township, Gratiot County, Michigan; her parents were Tom and Sarah McLeod Londry. When Bill and Doris were first married they lived in Lakefield Township and by 1930 they moved to Lafayette Township, Gratiot County, Michigan.

They had the following children:

1. Mark Edward Wenzel born 10 October 1921 and died 7 September 1999 in Silver Lake, Indiana.

2. Annabelle Wenzel was born 18 October 1922 and married Leo Davis on 22 December 1940..

3. Marian Wenzel was born 4 or 9 October 1924 and married Alex Cassady.

4. Henry Junior was born 18 July 1926 and died 25 April 1933. Junior died in Lafayette Township at the age of 6 years old. He is buried in the Lafayette Township Cemetery, Gratiot County, Michigan.

5. Thomas George Wenzel and married Lois Depre on the 10 March 1949.

The book “Lest We Forget”, book number 2, page 101, written by Myron F. Gulick states the following: “William Wenzel was full of fun and jokes, and was a prankster, if there ever was one”. In the book, “Lest We Forget:, book number 1, page 102, written by Myron F. Gulick states the following: “William Wenzel was very active in our neighborhood affairs. He helped his neighbors whenever they were in need of help, especially in case of sickness. He liked to play the role of Santa Claus at school; h the folks like his jokes. Once, he asked the school teacher if he could give her a kiss. She immediately stepped back from him, out of his reach. As he stepped forward toward her, ;he handed her a candy kiss to her surprise, and she accepted the kiss laughing. Bill, as we called him, had a gravel box mounted on a pair of wheels (trailer). It had a hand crank to dump it. If the crank lock was left loose, the crank would reverse quickly. The more it reversed, the faster it went. He called it the widow maker.”

Doris died in 1956 and Bill died on 12 August 1979 in Gratiot County, Michigan. They are both buried in the Lafayette Township Cemetery, Gratiot County, Michigan.

SOURCES: William Wenzel's birth record; Sherry Wielinski's genealogy; William Wenzel's WWI draft record; William and Doris's marriage record; Elsie Wenzel Hutfilz's photos; Henry Junior's death record; Myron F. Gulick's books “Lest We Forget”; Find A Grave Website