Recollections: Legends of Yesterday - Bill Henley

­­This is a reprint of original articles by Hugh Woolley, a longtime resident and community leader of Graceville. Woolley published these articles in The Graceville News more than 20 years ago.

Originally published in the April 05, 2001 edition of The Graceville News.

When I first came to Graceville in 1948, it was not long before I heard the name Bill Henley. I believe he was instrumental in helping organize the first veterans classes in agriculture. I know he was referred to as being the first teacher of some of my veteran students.

This was on the farm training program under the Gl Bill of Rights for World War II Vets. I believe the Bill was trying to render a community service because of the scarcity of ag teachers at this time. So, busy qualified people like Bill and Mr. R.L. Price, Sr. were called on to help out. As I have stated before, when Mr. G.C. Norman hired me, he told me that he needed 300 teachers as soon as he could get them. I would like to say that Bill Cox, Henley's brother-in-law, who lived in Marianna was a veteran's teacher in Calhoun County.

Bill Cox married Henley's sister, Helen who retired from the Jackson County School System in 1980. She taught over thirty years and was a FSU graduate when it was a girl's school. She and Bill Cox are the parents of Dr. William Cox of Chipley and their daughter-in- law, Linda Cox is the principal at Graceville Elementary School. Bill Cox retired as Maintenance officer of Sunny Land in 1980.

I also knew Herbert Henley, Bill's younger brother, who was an ag teacher at Apopka, Florida. I remember him predicting at ag teachers state conference, that the agriculture clover leaf in Orange County was going to be replaced by the concrete clover leaf of Disney World. He was right.

Getting back to Bill Henley. He stood out. Once you met him you would never be confused who he was. To begin with, he was 6 ft. 3 in. tall and weighed 245 lbs. He was real bald and had a sense of humor. I remember we went in a cafe for a cup of coffee. Bill in his loud voice said to the waitress, "Young lady, is my hair parted straight?" He knew how to bring a smile to one's face. One night he was waiting out his turn at the cotton gin. He had noticed this waif-looking individual that was hanging around. Finally the man approached him and held out a quarter. He said to Bill. "I have had this quarter a long time. My mother gave it to me. She told me if I ever saw a man uglier than myself to give the quarter to him. So here it is."

Bill was very tender-hearted. He once told me that he didn't see how a man could look at a deer very long and then shoot it. All of Bill and Reba's children went to college and several became teachers. I called Bill, Jr. about information and he called his sister Betty Ann in Dallas, Georgia. Betty Ann has done a remarkable job writing about her family and has written a book about them. She mailed me the information, many thanks to Betty Ann. The following facts were furnished by her.

William Walter "Bill" Henley Facts:

*Born in Covington County, AL in 1905 and moved with his family, to Walton County. FL when he was six years old.

*He was reared on a farm just north of De Funiak Springs, FL. After finishing 7th grade at Glendale he worked on the farm til he was 19. He then attended school in De Funiak Springs through the 11th grade.

*He went to the University of Florida in the summer of 1928, reviewed three high school subjects, took the entrance examination and entered the college as a freshman at the age of 23.

*He left home with $12.50 and found jobs cleaning and pressing, looking after the sewerage system, fed hogs and cows, and acted as a bouncer at college dances.

*Finished college in 3 1/2 years and joined the University of Florida faculty at the Agricultural Experiment Station as Swine and Beef Cattle Assistant for over five years.

*He decided that he wanted to own his own farm, he bought 1400 acres in Jackson County, FL.

*He helped organize West Florida Electric Co-op and the lines were energized in 1939 and he and his family were able to use the electrical equipment they had brought with them from Gainesville.

*He was elected to serve on Board of Directors of the new co-op, and in 1946 he became president of the Board. In 1941, the co-ops of West Florida and South Alabama organized the Alabama Electric Co-op and Henley served on its Board for many, many years.

*He was elected president of the Florida statewide organization in 1950 and served on the National Board for several years.

*He was a director of Jackson County Cattleman's Association, president of the American Devon Cattle Club and owned the largest Devon herd in the country in the 1950s, was a member of the Methodist Church where he held several offices, and the Marianna. He was married to the former Reba Miars of Morrow, OH. He met Reba when he was a patient with an appendectomy and she was a nurse on private duty in the hospital and just by chance answered his call for need of a razor.

*They had five children: Evelyn who married John Tilghman and had one daughter; Bill, Jr who married Glenda Ann Holley and had three draghters and one son; Betty Ann who married Charles Vollenweider and had two daughters and one son; Addie Lou who married Harold Connerley and had two sons; Martha who married Samuel Efurd and had two sons.

*The name of the farm was Devondale Farm, named for the Devon cattle which was a main source of income. In the 1960s he also had a large hog production.

*The Henley home was enjoyed by the young people in community as they were always welcome.

To be continued..

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