I was born in Colville, Washington 29 Sep 1916. I was the oldest child of Theodore and Mabel (MUEHL) BAIRD.
I was joined by a baby brother, Harold, born 15 Mar 1918 in Vancouver WA. Pa was working there as a ship wright. After the end of the war...the First World War we moved home to Colville.
Bill's sister, Betty Baird Halverson, adds to Bill's story:
Mabel died just after WWI in Colville from the flu or it might have been a pregnancy complication (anyway it was something she could have survived with modern medicine).
Bill's father married Martha Jane KLINGLER in Spokane around 1924. This was a wedding/honeymoon trip and while in Spokane they received word that Harold was very ill. They went home to Colville and immediately rushed Harold to the doctor in Spokane by train. He had TB of the bone (osteoporisis/creative spelling) .. in his leg and Harold was put in the hospital and operated on immediately. It was pretty touch and go for a while. Harold might have died if he hadn't gotten treatment.
Daddy had already accepted the job in Wisconsin and then because of Harold's illness wasn't going to accept it. Momma said he should go and that she would stay with Harold. She took a room at the YMCA and took care of Harold in the hospital. When Harold was fit to travel she when to Colville and got Bill and they traveled out to Wisconsin to join Daddy. A fine way to celebrate a wedding and start a marriage.
I was born 17 April 1925 in Wisconsin and my sister, Aloha Dean, (Alloadean), was born in Union Town Pennsylvania on 14 April 1928.
When I was eight years old, Pa's job at J. C. Penneys took us to Manticwoc, Wisconsin...(if I miss-remembered the spelling of this city's name...it was because I was only 8 when I arrived and 11 1/2 when we left...and that's the way I remember it.) Pa's boss was given this store to manage and he asked Pa to go with him.
Pa opened a Penneys store in Union Town, Pennsylvania, where we lived for another 3 1/2 years and then we moved to Sleepy Eye, Minnesota because of another store transfer. The lease ran out on the store and the store ran out of Pa...so we moved back home to Colville. (the move being about 1934 and I was 17 years old)
For a long time he worked in Barman's Big Store, a general merchandise store. He was elected county clerk around 1938 and he served in that office until he passed away 1953.
Golly,about my Pa, he would take me to a vacant lot in Colville where a carnival had been set up and I would get to ride the merrygoround. My father would stand beside me as I was riding one of the horses. My father had dark-brown hair, was of average height and stocky build and, by my sophomore year in high school, I was taller than he was. During my high-school years, I did get to go pheasant hunting with my Pa. We would get a limit of pheasants right at the edge of town. After Christmas, my Pa and I would take the decorations down at the store and then, afterwards, we would stop at a restaurant and have oyster stew. That was my Christmas treat. In 1934, the family moved back to Collville and I joined the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC). From then on, I was on my own. (end of first interview dated 24 Jun 1998. The words and memories of Bill Baird...transcribed by Darilee) (interview with Bill's sister Betty Halverson 9 Jul 1998. transcribed by Darilee) (interview dated 23 July l998. More words and memories of Bill Baird... transcribed by Hildred Piel)