Bill began school in Fredonia, N.Y., but while in the third grade his parents moved to Warren, PA where they remained through Bill's high school years including his high school graduation in 1931. While In high school he participated in football, track, and dramatics. He then took post-graduate courses at Erie (PA) Academy High School. in the fall of 1932 he entered the University of Buffalo, but after one semester transferred to the University of Pittsburgh (PA), where he worked for part of his tuition as an undergraduate lab assistant in geology. He also worked as a docent at the Carnegie Museum. Bill received his Bachelor of Science degree in Geology. Soon after graduation he was hired to work in the Vertibrate Paleontology Laboratory of the U. S. National Museum, Washington, D.C.
In September 1938 Lois and Bill were married in the home of Lois' mother in Pittsburgh, PA. They danced to the music of the Lawrence Welk band on their honeymoon. They then moved to Washington, DC. After a few months Lois was appointed to a part-time position at the D.C. Public Library. She continued in this position until 1945.
While working at the museum from 1938 through 1941 Bill studied at the George Washington University for his MS degree in Geology which he received in 1942. Soon after receiving his degree he was appointed to a position in the Civil Service Commission. In June 1942 he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned to the newly-formed U.S. Army Air Corps. After a variety of training courses he was classified as a radio operator gunner in the US Air Corps and was assigned to a B-24 Group and sent to Second Air Division, 8th Air Force stationed in England.
Upon his discharge in 1945 he returned to work in the Civil Service Commission, but soon joined the Personnel Division of the National Bureau of Standards to help recruit physical Scientists.
About three years later, he left the Bureau of Standards to work on problems of Scientific Personnel in the Department of the Army. After a few years of this work in the Pentagon he transferred to the National Bureau of the Census from which he retired in 1968 upon completion of thirty years of federal service.
In the years before retirement, Lois and Bill were active as founding members of the John Calvin Presbyterian Church, Annandale, VA. Lois as an Elder and Bill as a choir member. They were both active in community affairs, having served as officers in PTA, Garden Club, and school-related duties as their family grew. Returning to Fredonia in 1968, they lived fora few years with Bill's mother in the old Frost home at 139 Chestnut Street. There were many gardening tasks, and they enjoyed this part of retirement. Fredonia offered many opportunities in which Lois and Bill were interested, including Historic Preservation, Library and Museum work, and Church related activities as well as the Garden Club and Shakespeare Club.
After Bill's mother, Angeline (Frost) Moran died, and needing to downsize, the Frost home was sold out of the family and Lois and Bill moved into the small house formerly owned by Mary (Shuttleworth) Frost, the widow of E. Raymond Frost.
Lois died in February 1988 and Bill continued living in the smaller house until the mid-1990's at which time he took up residence at Springhill Retirement Home in Erie. Bill died in March 1998 and is buried in the Webster Street Cemetery in Fredonia.
