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Bill Lee, The Baseball Undertaker (#48045330)
 member for 3 months, 11 days
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A lifetime baseball fan, Bill was born in Kansas as Bill Oswald. His father, also Bill Oswald, died from a sudden heart attack when Bill was 5 years old. After his father's death, he and his mother moved to the West Coast where she remarried and his stepfather adopted him, giving him the name of Lee. Eventually the Lee's ended up in the Imperial Valley of Southern California where Bill was raised.

As a boy Bill followed the Pacific Coast League before the Dodgers and Giants moved to the West Coast. He saw many major league stars at the beginning of their careers on their way "up", or at the end of their careers on their way "down". He also followed major league baseball through the colorful re-creations of Gordon McClendon, who called himself "The Old Scotchman", on his Liberty Broadcasting Network. This is when he began wondering "What happened to . . ?" after they left the limelight of a relatively short baseball career.

Educated as an engineer, Bill attended the University of California, Berkeley, and received his BS in Engineering Science at Arizona State University. He later earned his MBA at Cal Poly, Pomona, and has credits toward a masters degree in history at Utah State University. A pioneer in automated information systems, he designed, programmed and managed computer-based systems for nearly 30 years, leaving his paying job as Director of Information Systems for a multinational electronic component manufacturer in 1987. Since that time he has been busier than ever, working as a self-employed family and local history researcher.


A native of Goshen, Indiana, LaVonne's great joy in life has always been music. She started playing the piano at an early age, and still enjoys playing to this day. She also played the clarinet and sang, and was active in her high school band, orchestra and glee club. She attended International Business College in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and was a secretary at StarCraft when it was still Star Tank and Boat Company in Goshen.

In 1963 she moved from Goshen to Scottsdale, Arizona, where she was the secretary for the Director of the Parks and Recreation Department of City of Scottsdale. She says that was the "best job she ever had." It was in Scottsdale where she and Bill met each other in 1969. They were married two years later. In 1977 she and Bill moved to Riverside, California, where she worked as secretary/bookkeeper in the corporate office of A. M. Lewis, a large grocery wholesaler serving Southern California, Nevada and Arizona.

Since 1987 LaVonne and Bill have been working together as self-employed family and local history researchers. Doing this work, they have traveled all over the United States working as professional genealogists, as well as accumulating a great amount of information on family names related to both of them. This effort has produced not only The Baseball Necrology, but also a number of books of public record abstracts they are now offering to the public.

The Lee's now live near Foley AL, and plan to spend less time traveling and doing research. They have accumulated a wealth of information they are compiling into more books and websites they will be offering in the future.
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First NameLast Name

Messages left for Bill Lee, The B... (9)[Leave Message]
Nephele
Gladys KrummeMemorial
I am transcribing the cemetery where this is located, and have transferred management to you so that you can add all the information you have found.
Added by Nephele on May 17, 2013 8:06 PM
Leon Barton
John & Manie Oliver
The memorials for John and Manie Oliver have been updated. You are welcome.
Added by Leon Barton on May 08, 2013 8:01 PM
katmando
Mary Oliver
She has been transferred to your care, and you are not a pest at all. Lol. I love to be able to put people in the care of their family.
Added by katmando on May 05, 2013 8:59 PM
Krauss/Gronek
Diane Oliver
Thanks for the info. Would gladly transfer if your interested.
Added by Krauss/Gronek on May 04, 2013 11:02 PM
katmando
Rose Pearl Parker
Thank you for the additional information, greatly appreciated. I have added all of the information to her memorial. Have a good day
Added by katmando on May 04, 2013 10:30 AM
Whitney
Transfer Mattie
Hi,made the transfer. Take care. Whitney
Added by Whitney on Apr 01, 2013 2:29 PM
Bonnie Caulfield
Zita Winnogene Foote Oswald
Hi Bill, Thanks for posting my grand parents grave sites. I just want to update you on Zita - Her maiden name was FUGIT not FOOTE was her mothers maiden name. Thanks for fixing this.
Bonnie Caulfield
Added by Bonnie Caulfield on Mar 13, 2013 8:26 AM
Sue Sterling Tretter
FAG - Ivy Eichrodt
Thanks for your photo of Ivy Eichrodt's tombstone -- it makes the Find A Grave memorial so much more complete.
Are your (or is your wife) related to Ivy? She's not one of my relatives and I would be happy to transfer her to you, if you wish. (Just let me know.) Best wishes. Sue
Added by Sue Sterling Tretter on Mar 07, 2013 1:46 PM
SuzyMish
RE: Harry Arndt
Perfectly OK! I'm glad they repaired his stone (or is your photo older?)
The whole point of this is honoring the dead... Not who gets to claim the photo. Thank you for all you do!
Added by SuzyMish on Mar 02, 2013 9:02 AM
 

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