Life history of William Eric Whittlesey (William, Bill or Willie Woodcutter)
William was the 1st child born to William F. and Almeda Lucille Hall Whittlesey on the 24th of March 1948 in Lancaster, California. Brother Steven Craig joined the family on the 11th of Jun 1950. They lived in southern California and Nevada with their parents and then grandparents, after Bill and Almeda divorced. William and Steve were very close to their "Hall" grandparents.
He attended school in Fallon, NV, where he loved to play baseball. In 1964 he pitched for the American Legion Championship Team from Northern Nevada. He liked talking about those happy days and ball games. He still followed the Major Leagues every ball season, and loved to watch the games on television. He graduated from Reno High School where he played brass in the school orchestra, and played baseball. He graduated 27th in a class of 435 students in 1966. He was awarded a scholarship to the University of Nevada and attended college there for 1 year.
William told fond stories of helping his grandfather set up and repair television repeaters in Nevada.
He played drums in a rock band for a time in the Reno area, and took up guitar in later years. He loved to listen to music and jam with friends. Some of Williams talents included an amazing understanding of mathematics. He also was interested in astronomy and enjoyed watching the stars with a telescope that he saved for and purchased. He was an avid reader and loved to discuss and share books he had read. One he was especially proud of tells about his ancestor Charles Whittlesey during his heroic war effort in WWI. His unit became known as "The Lost Battalion". Of the over five hundred soldiers that entered the Argonne Forest, only 194 were able to walk out unscathed. The rest were killed, missing, captured, or wounded. Major Charles White Whittlesey, along with several other officers received the Medal of Honor for their valiant actions. Whittlesey was also recognized by being a pallbearer at the ceremony interring the remains of the Unknown Soldier. However, it appears that the experience weighed heavily on him. Whittlesey disappeared from a ship, in what is believed to have been (and was reported as) a suicide, in 1921. There was also a movie made about "The Lost Battalion".
William was baptized into the LDS church on the 7th of July 1991 in Walla Walla, Washington. The program from his baptism is still tucked into his bible.
William had a special affinity for the lakes and mountains of the Sierra Nevada's, which he has explored with his long-time friend Patty Peterson. He moved to Wyoming in 1992 where he did farm work and cut firewood, and to Byron in 1993.
William had ways of taking care of his friends that were uniquely his own. And did he ever love his dogs! After Buddy died he was happy to share Bella with Ted. When Ted moved to Basin, William made a home for Bella. She was one of his main concerns in his last days.
He also enjoyed the Pryor Mountains where he cut the "Best" firewood for many loyal wood customers, earning him the nickname "Willie Woodcutter".
William was a very private person in so many ways. Which is probably why so few knew of his final illness. William passed away in his home in Byron in the early hours of the 17th of June 2010.
William was preceded in death by both sets of grandparents, his mother, his brother and friend Patty. He is survived by a niece and nephew in Nevada, his father and stepmother and a half sibling.
Funeral services were held on Tuesday the 22nd of June 2010 at the Haskell Funeral Home in Lovell, Wyoming at 1:00 P.M. with burial in the Crown Hill Cemetery, Powell, Wyoming following the service.
- Findagrave record for William Eric “Willie Woodcutter” Whittlesey
Bruce Templeton
Life history of William Eric Whittlesey (William, Bill or Willie Woodcutter)
William was the 1st child born to William F. and Almeda Lucille Hall Whittlesey on the 24th of March 1948 in Lancaster, California. Brother Steven Craig joined the family on the 11th of Jun 1950. They lived in southern California and Nevada with their parents and then grandparents, after Bill and Almeda divorced. William and Steve were very close to their "Hall" grandparents.
He attended school in Fallon, NV, where he loved to play baseball. In 1964 he pitched for the American Legion Championship Team from Northern Nevada. He liked talking about those happy days and ball games. He still followed the Major Leagues every ball season, and loved to watch the games on television. He graduated from Reno High School where he played brass in the school orchestra, and played baseball. He graduated 27th in a class of 435 students in 1966. He was awarded a scholarship to the University of Nevada and attended college there for 1 year.
William told fond stories of helping his grandfather set up and repair television repeaters in Nevada.
He played drums in a rock band for a time in the Reno area, and took up guitar in later years. He loved to listen to music and jam with friends. Some of Williams talents included an amazing understanding of mathematics. He also was interested in astronomy and enjoyed watching the stars with a telescope that he saved for and purchased. He was an avid reader and loved to discuss and share books he had read. One he was especially proud of tells about his ancestor Charles Whittlesey during his heroic war effort in WWI. His unit became known as "The Lost Battalion". Of the over five hundred soldiers that entered the Argonne Forest, only 194 were able to walk out unscathed. The rest were killed, missing, captured, or wounded. Major Charles White Whittlesey, along with several other officers received the Medal of Honor for their valiant actions. Whittlesey was also recognized by being a pallbearer at the ceremony interring the remains of the Unknown Soldier. However, it appears that the experience weighed heavily on him. Whittlesey disappeared from a ship, in what is believed to have been (and was reported as) a suicide, in 1921. There was also a movie made about "The Lost Battalion".
William was baptized into the LDS church on the 7th of July 1991 in Walla Walla, Washington. The program from his baptism is still tucked into his bible.
William had a special affinity for the lakes and mountains of the Sierra Nevada's, which he has explored with his long-time friend Patty Peterson. He moved to Wyoming in 1992 where he did farm work and cut firewood, and to Byron in 1993.
William had ways of taking care of his friends that were uniquely his own. And did he ever love his dogs! After Buddy died he was happy to share Bella with Ted. When Ted moved to Basin, William made a home for Bella. She was one of his main concerns in his last days.
He also enjoyed the Pryor Mountains where he cut the "Best" firewood for many loyal wood customers, earning him the nickname "Willie Woodcutter".
William was a very private person in so many ways. Which is probably why so few knew of his final illness. William passed away in his home in Byron in the early hours of the 17th of June 2010.
William was preceded in death by both sets of grandparents, his mother, his brother and friend Patty. He is survived by a niece and nephew in Nevada, his father and stepmother and a half sibling.
Funeral services were held on Tuesday the 22nd of June 2010 at the Haskell Funeral Home in Lovell, Wyoming at 1:00 P.M. with burial in the Crown Hill Cemetery, Powell, Wyoming following the service.
- Findagrave record for William Eric “Willie Woodcutter” Whittlesey