General Notes

[wmakemp.ged]

William Joseph Kemp was a graduate of Mary E. McCahill Institute. He was athletic and played basketball in high school and baseball for the American Legion team. He owned a iceboat with his friend Bob Fick. He also enjoyed hunting, fishing and skiing. He graduated in 1928.

He worked at the Lake City Nursey and the family store - Kemp & Roeschen. He decided to go to California for work in 1937. He started work at Douglas Aircraft in the Production Control Dept. He lived in Santa Monica. In October, 1943 he went to work at the Curtiss Wright Corp in Columbus, Ohio. He returned to Lake City in November 1945 and worked at the Redmond Motor Company as bookkeeper and stockman.

He started work at O"Neil Irwin (later Di-Acro) in 1951 where he worked until he retired in 1976.

He bought land on the south side of Lake City in the late 40's. The property contained a old service station at 1004 South Oak St. which he remodeled into a home. Bill and his family moved to 1010 South Oak St about 1960 to the home that his in-laws built.

He was active in civic affairs serving on the Lake City Charter Commission and on the finance committee that tried to get a Veteran's Hospital in Lake City. He was Grand Knight of St. Mary's Knights of Columbus and on the St. Mary's Cemetery Board. He was a charter member of the Lake City Yacht Club.

Medical History: Cancer of the bladder and colon. He had a colostomy about 12 Feb 1974. His condition was described in his Medical history as agnogenic myeloid metapalsia. He then developed chronic lymphocytic leukemia in 1977. He was having transfusions weekly. His spleen, described as giant, was removed on 3 August 1979. He was treated at Mayo and at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester. He died in Lake City.
Buried in St. Mary's Cemetery - Section E, Lot 44, Plot 4.
Sponsors were Erma KRELL and Joseph WALCH.  Erma Krell was a second cousin once removed and Joseph Walch was a maternal uncle