Farmer

William was born and grew up in rural Carroll County, Indiana. He was the fifth of nine children of George HOOKER and Elizabeth HUFFORD. When William was born, he had three older sisters and a brother just two years old. William and his siblings grew up in Clay Township, Carroll County, in the area of the Wild Cat Creek, where most folks were farmers and where the corn grew tall and hogs were raised right outside the house. Among the other families in Clay Township were many relatives on his mother’s side – HUFFORDs and CRIPES – and a few relatives on his father’s side: The WEILs in the area were his HOOKER first cousins hiding behind their father’s surname. William grew up in the midst of many siblings, many first cousins, and many cousins beyond. He got an 8th grade education in a one-room school house in Owasco. His father farmed and logged. Like most farm boys, he’d have helped out as he got old enough and big enough to help. His father was Catholic but had been excommunicated when he married a non-Catholic. He had arrived in the USA as a young child and served in the Union Army during the Civil War. William’s mother was German Baptist Brethren, and she considered playing cards sinning. William grew up hearing his parents quarrel about religion often; like most of his brothers, William largely turned away from organized religion.

When he was about 20 years old, his parents moved the family to rural Rolette County, North Dakota. The move was do-able because the railroad went right through Owasco, Indiana, where the family lived. The family loaded train cars with household goods, farm equipment, animals and moved west: Dad, Mom, five sons and a daughter.

In North Dakota, William worked on the railroad and he farmed. He married to Sylvia COOK. One child was born to the marriage: Estella Leona Hooker, born in about 1904 in North Dakota. In 1910, William, his wife, and daughter were in Hutcheson Township, Rolette County, North Dakota, with William farming. William’s father was listed with him in North Dakota on the 1910 census, but it’s likely that it was a visiting situation because William’s father also was listed on the 1910 census with William’s mother. (Or perhaps the couple was in transition back to Indiana, and William’s mother had arrived in Indiana first.) By 1918, William and Sylvia were living in Big Falls, Koochiching Co., Minnesota. William was farming. In 1920, William, Sylvia, and their daughter were still in Big Falls, Koochiching, Minnesota; William described himself as a "retired farmer."

The marriage between William and Sylvia fell apart, and by 1927, William was married to a younger woman, SwanHilde ERICKSON, born and raised in Koochiching County, Minnesota. William and SwanHilde's son (also named William) was born in November 1927 Minot, Ward County, North Dakota. In August 1928, the family crossed the border into Saskatchewan. On that record, William described himself as Roman Catholic; SwanHilde described herself as Lutheran; their nine-month-old son was described as Roman Catholic. No record has been found for William between 1928 (when he crossed into Saskatchewan) and 1940 (when he, SwanHilde, and their son show on the U.S. Census in Acme Township, Whatcom County, Washington). William was farming in Washington in 1940. In 1942, William and his wife were in Wickersham, Acme Twp., Whatcom County, Washington, with William farming.

For unexplained reasons, William often wrote his middle initial as "M." However, other records show his middle name as "Edward," and his grave marker shows the middle initial "E." It is possible that he had two middle names.

NOTE: Autosomal DNA proves William as the child of his known parents, proves his son William, and proves his grandson and one granddaughter.