Will Quinley was a farmer and turpentine laborer around the Crossroads-White House Fork-Bromley area in Baldwin County, Alabama. All five of his sons would help him out and they would travel all over North Baldwin County to distill turpentine. Two of Will's sons, Earl and Johnnie, got injured as young men helping him.
Will Quinley was born and raised in the Whitehouse Fork Community in the neighborhood called "The Brown Settlement" (named for his brother-in-law and sister Will and Delia Quinley Brown). A hurricane came through the area in the late 1920s and destroyed his home there. Will, anlong with his wife and four of his five sons moved to the nearby Crossroads Community and built a home on what is now Quinley Road (then called "Settlement Road.") It originally was just a one room "shack" then more rooms were added on it later.
Will‘s favorite pastime was making music by playing the fiddle. Will, along with his sons David and Lewis Quinley; Myrtle Brown Duck, and neighbor Rev. David Davis, would all play music together. David Quinley played the mandolin, Lewis played the harmonica, and Myrtle played the fiddle. Myrtle's family were musically talented. Her sisters Gladys Brown Quinley and Freddie Brown Jordan, were excellent singers. These two ladies, along with Irene, would at times sing with the group. David Quinley said the only song he ever heard his daddy sing was "Oh, How I Love Jesus", "dut oh how daddy could sing that song!"
To all his family and neighbors, Will Quinley was a very good man. He was full of laughter and pranks. He liked nothing more than pick on the sisters, Adis Davis Durant and Lou Davis Wallace. He would walk to the turpentine still in White House Fork, near Ted Wallace's store, with a bed sheet over his head just to scare Jack Johnson and the others working there, they would almost be climbing the trees! He also loved to play pranks on his neighbor and friend Ball Davis, who was very skittish. At Will's funeral, Ball said to his lifeless body, "Will, you can't scare me anymore!" Then a cat came running out from under the casket, as if Will had the last laugh.
Will was bed-ridden about a year before he died. Clyde Johnson (Will's much younger 1st cousin) was just a young boy said if he or any of the other neighborhood kids would go in the house they would get run out because he was so sick. He contracted undulant fever by contact with infected cows. His grandson, Olben Quinley said when Will was on his death dead, his oldest son Earl moved in to help take care of him. Earl played the guitar for Will almost 24 hours daily until Will died. He passed 2 January 1940 at 9:30 AM in the front room of his Crossroads residence, aged 62 years. After his father's death, Earl stopped playing the guitar and would never pick one up again.
Will Quinley was born and raised in the Whitehouse Fork Community in the neighborhood called "The Brown Settlement" (named for his brother-in-law and sister Will and Delia Quinley Brown). A hurricane came through the area in the late 1920s and destroyed his home there. Will, anlong with his wife and four of his five sons moved to the nearby Crossroads Community and built a home on what is now Quinley Road (then called "Settlement Road.") It originally was just a one room "shack" then more rooms were added on it later.
Will‘s favorite pastime was making music by playing the fiddle. Will, along with his sons David and Lewis Quinley; Myrtle Brown Duck, and neighbor Rev. David Davis, would all play music together. David Quinley played the mandolin, Lewis played the harmonica, and Myrtle played the fiddle. Myrtle's family were musically talented. Her sisters Gladys Brown Quinley and Freddie Brown Jordan, were excellent singers. These two ladies, along with Irene, would at times sing with the group. David Quinley said the only song he ever heard his daddy sing was "Oh, How I Love Jesus", "dut oh how daddy could sing that song!"
To all his family and neighbors, Will Quinley was a very good man. He was full of laughter and pranks. He liked nothing more than pick on the sisters, Adis Davis Durant and Lou Davis Wallace. He would walk to the turpentine still in White House Fork, near Ted Wallace's store, with a bed sheet over his head just to scare Jack Johnson and the others working there, they would almost be climbing the trees! He also loved to play pranks on his neighbor and friend Ball Davis, who was very skittish. At Will's funeral, Ball said to his lifeless body, "Will, you can't scare me anymore!" Then a cat came running out from under the casket, as if Will had the last laugh.
Will was bed-ridden about a year before he died. Clyde Johnson (Will's much younger 1st cousin) was just a young boy said if he or any of the other neighborhood kids would go in the house they would get run out because he was so sick. He contracted undulant fever by contact with infected cows. His grandson, Olben Quinley said when Will was on his death dead, his oldest son Earl moved in to help take care of him. Earl played the guitar for Will almost 24 hours daily until Will died. He passed 2 January 1940 at 9:30 AM in the front room of his Crossroads residence, aged 62 years. After his father's death, Earl stopped playing the guitar and would never pick one up again.
Will Quinley was a farmer and turpentine laborer around the Crossroads-White House Fork-Bromley area in Baldwin County, Alabama. All five of his sons would help him out and they would travel all over North Baldwin County to distill turpentine. Two of Will's sons, Earl and Johnnie, got injured as young men helping him.
Will Quinley was born and raised in the Whitehouse Fork Community in the neighborhood called "The Brown Settlement" (named for his brother-in-law and sister Will and Delia Quinley Brown). A hurricane came through the area in the late 1920s and destroyed his home there. Will, anlong with his wife and four of his five sons moved to the nearby Crossroads Community and built a home on what is now Quinley Road (then called "Settlement Road.") It originally was just a one room "shack" then more rooms were added on it later.
Will‘s favorite pastime was making music by playing the fiddle. Will, along with his sons David and Lewis Quinley; Myrtle Brown Duck, and neighbor Rev. David Davis, would all play music together. David Quinley played the mandolin, Lewis played the harmonica, and Myrtle played the fiddle. Myrtle's family were musically talented. Her sisters Gladys Brown Quinley and Freddie Brown Jordan, were excellent singers. These two ladies, along with Irene, would at times sing with the group. David Quinley said the only song he ever heard his daddy sing was "Oh, How I Love Jesus", "dut oh how daddy could sing that song!"
To all his family and neighbors, Will Quinley was a very good man. He was full of laughter and pranks. He liked nothing more than pick on the sisters, Adis Davis Durant and Lou Davis Wallace. He would walk to the turpentine still in White House Fork, near Ted Wallace's store, with a bed sheet over his head just to scare Jack Johnson and the others working there, they would almost be climbing the trees! He also loved to play pranks on his neighbor and friend Ball Davis, who was very skittish. At Will's funeral, Ball said to his lifeless body, "Will, you can't scare me anymore!" Then a cat came running out from under the casket, as if Will had the last laugh.
Will was bed-ridden about a year before he died. Clyde Johnson (Will's much younger 1st cousin) was just a young boy said if he or any of the other neighborhood kids would go in the house they would get run out because he was so sick. He contracted undulant fever by contact with infected cows. His grandson, Olben Quinley said when Will was on his death dead, his oldest son Earl moved in to help take care of him. Earl played the guitar for Will almost 24 hours daily until Will died. He passed 2 January 1940 at 9:30 AM in the front room of his Crossroads residence, aged 62 years. After his father's death, Earl stopped playing the guitar and would never pick one up again.
Will Quinley was born and raised in the Whitehouse Fork Community in the neighborhood called "The Brown Settlement" (named for his brother-in-law and sister Will and Delia Quinley Brown). A hurricane came through the area in the late 1920s and destroyed his home there. Will, anlong with his wife and four of his five sons moved to the nearby Crossroads Community and built a home on what is now Quinley Road (then called "Settlement Road.") It originally was just a one room "shack" then more rooms were added on it later.
Will‘s favorite pastime was making music by playing the fiddle. Will, along with his sons David and Lewis Quinley; Myrtle Brown Duck, and neighbor Rev. David Davis, would all play music together. David Quinley played the mandolin, Lewis played the harmonica, and Myrtle played the fiddle. Myrtle's family were musically talented. Her sisters Gladys Brown Quinley and Freddie Brown Jordan, were excellent singers. These two ladies, along with Irene, would at times sing with the group. David Quinley said the only song he ever heard his daddy sing was "Oh, How I Love Jesus", "dut oh how daddy could sing that song!"
To all his family and neighbors, Will Quinley was a very good man. He was full of laughter and pranks. He liked nothing more than pick on the sisters, Adis Davis Durant and Lou Davis Wallace. He would walk to the turpentine still in White House Fork, near Ted Wallace's store, with a bed sheet over his head just to scare Jack Johnson and the others working there, they would almost be climbing the trees! He also loved to play pranks on his neighbor and friend Ball Davis, who was very skittish. At Will's funeral, Ball said to his lifeless body, "Will, you can't scare me anymore!" Then a cat came running out from under the casket, as if Will had the last laugh.
Will was bed-ridden about a year before he died. Clyde Johnson (Will's much younger 1st cousin) was just a young boy said if he or any of the other neighborhood kids would go in the house they would get run out because he was so sick. He contracted undulant fever by contact with infected cows. His grandson, Olben Quinley said when Will was on his death dead, his oldest son Earl moved in to help take care of him. Earl played the guitar for Will almost 24 hours daily until Will died. He passed 2 January 1940 at 9:30 AM in the front room of his Crossroads residence, aged 62 years. After his father's death, Earl stopped playing the guitar and would never pick one up again.
Family Members
Siblings
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John Wesley "Wes" Quinley
1874–1960
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Catherine Fordonia Quinley
1876–1892
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Elvie Quinley Duck
1881–1958
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Francis Marion "Frank" Quinley
1883–1955
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Leroy R. Quinley
1886–1966
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Delia Ann Quinley Brown
1888–1969
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Brenard "Brenon" Quinley
1891–1974
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Robert Quinley
1894–1973
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Andrew Jackson Quinley
1897–1970
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Evie Lena Quinley Smith
1899–1980
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