NameWilliam Roy Porter
Birth11 Apr 1893, Radnor, Wayne Co., West Virginia
Death17 Oct 1963, Wayne Co., West Virginia
BurialSpring Hill Cemetery, Huntington, Cabell Co., West Virginia
MotherLena Ferguson (1865-~1905)
Other spousesMyrtle Barber, 2C1R
Marriageabt 1920, Shelby, Richland Co., Ohio
SpouseThelma Florence Dull
Birth22 Apr 1899, Shelby, Richland Co., Ohio
Death28 May 1929, Shelby, Richland Co., Ohio
BurialShelby-Oakland Cemetery, Shelby, Richland Co., Ohio
Children
Birthabt 1922, Shelby, Richland Co., Ohio
Birthabt 1926, Shelby, Richland Co., Ohio
3 FPatricia A. Porter (Data Omitted for Privacy)*
Notes for William Roy Porter
Wayne Co., West Virginia birth records28 list William R Porter, born 11 April 1893, father S. W. Porter, occupation physician, mother’s maiden name Lena Ferguson, informant Eastham Jenkins, brother-in-law. It is apparently a delayed registration - the page is typed and most of the births are in the late 1930’s, but the date of filing is not recorded. Probably it was filed when he was registering for a Social Security number.

His WW I draft registration card, filed 5 June 1917, records William Roy Porter, age 24, residence Fort Gay, Wayne Co., West Virginia, born 11 April 1893 in Radnor, W.Va., farmer, self-employed, place of employment Tabors Creek, single, no dependents.

His passport application, filed 15 Sep 1919 at the U.S. Consulate in Bordeaux, France, swears that the applicant William Roy Porter was born 11 April 1893 at Radnor, West Virginia, that his father Sampson William Porter, deceased, was also born in Radnor, W.Va., that he has no passport but came to France as an enlisted man in the U.S. Navy for work during the war at Croix d’Hins, Gironde, France, that his legal domicile is 2135 1/2 Third Ave, Huntington, W. Va., that he left the United States on 23 April 1918, arriving at Brest, France, on 6 May 1918, currently residing at Croix d’Hins for the purpose of the installation of the Lafayette Radio Station, on behalf of the United States Navy Department, that he desires a passport for use in working as a skilled workman on said project until the completion of the station. His physical description is given as age 25, stature 5 feet 7 inches, eyes dark brown, hair black, complexion ruddy, forehead medium, nose medium, face medium, mouth large, chin dimple. (A photo is attached and he is a quite handsome man, although with a receding hairline. Kind of reminds me of a young Ralph Fiennes.)

References include Lieut. Comdr. A. S. Merrill, U.S. Navy, Natchez, Mississippi; John P. Ferguson, Ft. Gay, W.Va.; Will H. Peters, Wayne, W.Va., next of kin Salie Ferguson, Fort Gay, W.Va.

HIs WW II draft registration card, filed 27 Apr 1942, records William Roy Porter, age 49, residence 14 Bridge St. (street address crossed out), Shelby, Richland Co., Ohio, mailing address 48 3rd St, born 11 April 1893 in Radnor, West Virginia, unemployed, contact Miss Patsy Porter, 14 Bridge St., Shelby, Ohio.

The SSDI lists William Porter, born 11 Apr 1893, died Oct 1963, last residence Florida, SSN issued in Ohio before 1951.

His death certificate28 records William R. Porter, age 70, born 11 April 1893 in West Virginia, died 17 Oct 1963 at the VA Hospital in Huntington, Wayne Co., West Virginia, residence 4311 Piedmont Rd, Huntington, W.Va., widowed, occupation electrician, father Sampson W. Porter, mother’s maiden name Lena Ferguson, cause of death adenocarcinoma of rectum with metastasis, informant VA Hospital Records, burial in Spring Hill Cemetery, Huntington, WVa (Cabell).
Census
1920 census of Cabell Co., West Virginia, Huntington Ward 4, enumerated 6 Jan, lists on p. 7A as family #137, at 2135 Third Ave:
Porter, James R., 24, brakeman on railroad; William R., brother, 26, electrician for electric co; Mary B., sister, 22, school teacher; Ruth, sister, 18, bookkeeper for plumbing co; Samuel H., brother, 17. All single, all born WV WV WV.

(It’s curious that James was recorded as the head of household, when all of the siblings were single and William was the eldest.)

1930 census of Richland Co., Ohio, Sharon township, Shelby ward 4, enumerated 8 April, lists on p. 5B as family #156/158, on Jefferson Ave:
Porter, Roy, 37, widowed, age at first marriage 27, b. WVa WVa WVa; Jacque, son, 8; Bobbie, son, 4; Patsy, dau, 3. All children born Ohio WVa Ohio. Ethel, sister, 23, divorced, age at first marriage 21, b. WVa WVa WVa.

1940 census of Richland Co., Ohio, Sharon township, Shelby ward 1, enumerated 27 April, lists on p. 11B as family #246, at 14 Sharon Ave:
Porter, William R., 46, b. W. Virginia, electrical engineer for sales book factory; Myrtle B., wife, 39, b. Ky; Jack L., son, 18; Robert G., son, 14; Patricia A., dau, 12; Mary Jane, dau, 9. All children born in Ohio, family living in same place (but not same house) in 1935.
Notes for Thelma Florence Dull
Her death certificate records Florence Thelma Porter (originally written as just Thelma Porter in the name field, with Florence prefixed as an afterthought above the words “FULL NAME”), age 30 years 1 month 7 days, born 22 April 1899 in Shelby, Ohio, died 28 May 1929 in Shelby, Richland Co., Ohio, residence 10 Jefferson St., married, wife of W. R. Porter, father Malin Dull, born in <illegible> Ohio, mother’s maiden name Edith Wert, born in DeKalb, Ohio, cause of death probably cerebral hemorrhage resulting in instant death, informant W. R. Porter, burial in Oakland, Shelby, Ohio.
Last Modified 3 Feb 2014Created 21 Feb 2014 using Reunion for Macintosh