14BF.  William Harry Youngblood was born in Hamilton County, Michigan, on Monday, June 22, 1908, and died in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, on January 16, 1991. He died of Alzheimer's disease. Beulah Irene Dannenberg was born in Aberdeen, Brown County, South Dakota, on Wednesday, August 30, 1911, and died in Kalamazoo on November 27, 1989. She died in Bronson Hospital of complications after open-heart surgery. They were both buried in Chambers Cemetery, Geneva Township (South Haven), Van Buren Co., Michigan.. They were married in Paw Paw, Van Buren County, Michigan, on Thursday, November 26, 1936. She took the name Beulah Irene Youngblood. He is the son of William Franklin and Josephine Frances (Johnson) Youngblood. She is the daughter of Albert Edward and Nellie Effie (Cline) Dannenberg. They had six children:

i. Wilbern Less Youngblood was born in Coloma, Berrien County, Michigan, on September 23, 1930, and died in Watervliet, Berrien County, Michigan, on April 27, 1932. He died of pleurisy at about 1½. He was Beulah's son and was adopted as a Youngblood.
ii. Donald Charles (Disbrow) Youngblood was born in Coloma on December 11, 1931. He was the son of Earl and Beulah (Dannenberg) Disbrow and adopted by William and Beulah Youngblood.
iii. Wilma Frances Youngblood [#14BFC]: She was born in Bangor, Van Buren County, Michigan, on May 8, 1937.
iv. William Franklin Youngblood [#14BFD]: He was born in Arrington Township, Van Buren County, Michigan, and died in White Bear, Michigan, on January 4, 1999.
v. Warren James Youngblood was born on April 27, 1942, and died in Pullman, Michigan, on October 20, 1989. Jim, as he was called, quit school in the eighth grade and became a farm laborer. When his half-brother, Don, bought a garage, Jim went to work for him and went to school and became a certified mechanic. Jim had a long-time girl friend from the seventh grade but they drifted apart after she graduated from high school. Jim joined the Army and was stationed in Germany. He never married.
vi. Wanda Jean Youngblood [#14BFF]: She was born in Lawrence, Van Buren County, Michigan, on January 5, 1945.

Wanda, their daughter, gives their Willie's occupations as mechanic, handy man, and landfill supervisor; and Beulah's as factory worker, maid, and cook. She wrote the following in September, 2000:

"William and Beulah moved at least "27 times" before they built their house on 68th, 4 miles east of South Haven, Michigan; ½ mile from Kibbie Corners. Dad was a handiman; he could fix almost anything he wanted to. He enjoyed fishing and hunting as much as work."

"His family didn't want him to marry Mom, the reasons are still unknown to us kids, even today. Uncle Frank and Dad both met their future wives at a dance club in Coloma. Both women had married before and each had children by those previous marriages. But Uncle Frank's wife was my Mom's aunt because Aunt Mary had been married to Mom's Uncle from Missouri. Dad, with the help of Don and Mom, built the house I grew up in; but has since been sold and burned to the ground. All that is left is an empty lot today."

"Beulah married Earl D. Disbrow at age 19. They were divorced on April 5, 1932. Earl reappeared on the day their first child died; it was the first time he laid eyes on their second child. Two weeks later he left the area for good."

Wanda also wrote: "One day when Mom was sick and running a fever, her father sent her to school anyway. Being the dead of winter in Michigan, Mom didn't feel like walking the 3 to 4 miles to school. Mom hid out in their outdoor bathroom all day and when it started getting dark, when Mom didn't show up to help with the cooking, they went looking for her. By now her fever was so high that even her winter coat was wet with sweat, so much so that her whole body was chilled. When they found her she was unconscious and had been for a long time. Mom said that if it hadn't been for the Seventh Day Adventists down the road she would not have lived very long. According to Mom, the nurses from the Seventh Day Adventists soaked and boiled sheets for seven days, 24 hours a day, wrapping and unwrapping her trying to break Mom's fever. They kept pouring soup down her."

"Mom also blamed her dad for her mother's early death. Grandma needed a female operation to live, her dad wouldn't pay for it. While he was on the wheat belt road working, she died. I never spoke to or met my grandpa until I was 13 years old. We drove to Iowa to find work and while we were out there, my dad made my mom go and talk to her dad before he died. It wasn't ugly nor was it a pretty picture. After that, Mom would read his Christmas cards, but still throw away the candy. She didn't send the money back if any came, she wouldn't keep or use it, but would give it sometimes to one of the kids."

"Mom and Dad never really had much to do with the other family members, whether by their choice or it was forced upon them. There used to be these huge family reunions. I remember going to two of them, but Dad kept newspaper clippings about a lot of them."

The Social Security Death Index gives William's SSN and confirms his birth and death dates. It gives Beulah's SSN, confirms her dates, and states that her last residence was South Haven, Michigan.


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