A Bit of Insight into the life of my Grandfather, William J. Pinon
by Harley Pinon
On August 17, 2006, I came across a photo copy of an old newspaper article that my sister Alma had sent. It was an article about the funeral of my grandfather. As you will note in the article, he passed away on November 19, 1935. Since I was born in 1938, I obviously never met him. I have often spoken highly of my own father and his great faith in God and his Christian life, but he never told me about his own father. This is a first effort to correct some of these omissions so that others may know a little more about our family heritage.
William J Pinon Buried At Gridley Thursday
Funeral services for W. J. Pinon were held Thursday afternoon from the Gridley Christian Church with Rev. Paul Garey of Yates Center, assisted by Rev. C. Z. Allsbury, in charge. A quartet composed of D. D. Stuart, M. B. Crow, C. E. Pilcher and J. Lynn Bishop sand "Oh say Ye Not The Christian Dies," "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" and " Home of the Soul." Mrs. H. W. Taylor accompanied. The pall bearers were O. F. Duncan, V. M. Lee, W. S. Reed, C. A. Rudolph, W. H. Taylor and L. R. Hunt. Interment was in the Gridley cemetery.
William J. Pinon, the eldest son of James and Eliza Pinon was born April 9, 1860, at Rockfort, Kentucky, and departed this life at Gridley Kansas, November 19, 1935, being 75 years, 7 months and 10 days old.
At the tender age of four, together with an older sister and a younger brother and sister, he was left motherless, but the home was kept together for the four little children by the father with the help of a Mms. Matthew Morris.
The father brought his family to Kansas when Mr. Pinon was quite young, coming in the early days before we had railroads. His father helped construct the Howard Branch of the Sante Fe. He saw the quiet prairies turned to action and watched the steps of progress from the oxcart to our present modes of travel.
He grew to manhood at Fall River and was united in marriage to Nellie Purviance in 1883. He and his wife homesteaded a farm nar Fall River.
To this union were born four sons and one daughter, John, Jim, Everett and Susie of Gridley and William of LeRoy. These together with one brother, Geo. W. Pinon of Florence, Kansas, and one sister, Mrs. M. G. Goss of Chandler, Okla., (The elder sister preceding him in death about 2 years ago), ten grandchildren and two great grandchildren are left to mourn his passing.
After 1888 the family resided in Virgil and Prairie Chapel neighborhoods until in 1922 when they moved to Gridley where they lived together until Mrs. Pinon's passing in 1928.
After moving to Gridley, because of his love for livestock, he took over the management of the Gridley Shipping Association making it such a success that its duration was much longer than any other in the county.
He united with the Christian Church when quite young and was a faithful follower until his death. Very few knew their Bible better and anyone having Bible questions could always prove them well answered by Mr. Pinon.
He was a great help in founding the Prairie Chapel church and when moving to Gridley, he united with the church of his choice, the Christian church, where he was an elder as long as his health permitted. His influence in the church will be long remembered. His smile, friendly disposition and loving ways are qualities that will be missed in the whole community.
The last year has brought on his affliction but all through his illness, he bore it bravely and patiently in such a nice way, always thinking of others instead of himself and never complaining.