Williams Takes Life One Step At A Time
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
WINONA LAKE - Walking has never been a big deal to Harold L. Williams, 90, of Grace Village.
If he adds up the miles he has walked during his lifetime, Williams estimates he has walked 125,000 miles, or five times around the world.
"I walked 12,000 miles to grammar school and high school. It was not uncommon to walk more than once a day," he said Monday.
He said he would walk with his friends to Salt Creek, approximately three miles from his home. They never thought anything about their walking.
He continues walking everywhere to this day. He walks to the dentist, to Owen's Supermarket, to Wal-Mart and to wherever else he needs to go.
Williams was born Sept. 6, 1908. He grew up just outside the city limits of Clinton, Ill. It was there that he began his enjoyment of walking.
"We never had a car. We walked many, many miles and never thought anything about it," he said.
Later on, Williams was an electrician for Marshall Fields for nine years. During that time, he walked seven miles per day around the different floors of the building. He had to walk 2-1/2 miles many of those years to get to transportation to go to work.
Today, when the weather is severe, Williams said he is careful not to take any chances. He will wait until there are clear paths to walk on before he goes out in the snowy weather.
"I dress for the weather," he said. "I have a winter cap with ear flaps. I have a parka over the ear muffs, heavy corduroy slacks, a face mask and mittens over my gloves."
Once the sidewalks or roads are clear enough for Williams, he plans to continue his 17 miles per week walking. Even with the snow on the ground recently, Williams still finds plenty to do.
"I keep occupied. This morning, I shoveled out a path at Grace Village for an hour and 15 minutes," he said.
Other activities that keep Williams busy include rewiring lamps for neighbors and friends, and repairing tape recorders and other appliances.
"It's not uncommon to find a lamp or tape recorder outside my door for me to fix," he said. "I don't always know who they belong to until after I fix them and someone calls me and asks if it's been fixed yet."
He doesn't charge for the work he does, but he is often paid by cookies.
"It's a challenge and it is fascinating. I don't have any spare time," he said.
Other interests for Williams include singing in the quartet for the Grace Village Chapel. He said they have sung in seven churches in the area by invitation, and he has whistled songs at four of the seven churches.
Some songs he said he whistles includes "Beneath the Cross," "Sweet Bye and Bye," "Brahm's Lullaby," and "almost any number I can whistle. I've enjoyed it all these years.
"I'm disappointed that it's somewhat of a lost art," he said.
Williams' whistling goes back to his childhood, when he would whistle as he walked.
One of his earlier singing performances was in the chapel aboard the USS Chenengo. He served on the small aircraft carrier as an electrician during World War II, where he earned nine major battle stars for battles the ship was in while he was aboard. The ship was a standard oil tanker that was converted to an aircraft carrier. It carried 32 planes and 1-1/2 million gallons of fuel.
The battles Williams was involved in included Tarawa, Guam, Rota and the Okinawa campaign. The ship was also involved in the battle of Leyte Gulf in the Phillipines during a typhoon. He served from June 1943 to October 1945.
He said they were given liberty at the islands of Mog Mog and Pago Pago.
"If anyone (who reads this) was there, they'd smile at that," he said.
"Later on," Williams said, "after the war was over, our ship was selected to pick up the liberated prisoners of war from Nagasaki, who were liberated after the war was over, and we took them to Okinawa."
Williams' wife of 58 years died 10 years ago, but she used to walk with him since the early days of their marriage.
Today he walks alone, but with a smile on his face, he said.
"Part of my philosophy is to help people smile. You don't spread sunshine without getting some on you," he said. [[In-content Ad]]
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WINONA LAKE - Walking has never been a big deal to Harold L. Williams, 90, of Grace Village.
If he adds up the miles he has walked during his lifetime, Williams estimates he has walked 125,000 miles, or five times around the world.
"I walked 12,000 miles to grammar school and high school. It was not uncommon to walk more than once a day," he said Monday.
He said he would walk with his friends to Salt Creek, approximately three miles from his home. They never thought anything about their walking.
He continues walking everywhere to this day. He walks to the dentist, to Owen's Supermarket, to Wal-Mart and to wherever else he needs to go.
Williams was born Sept. 6, 1908. He grew up just outside the city limits of Clinton, Ill. It was there that he began his enjoyment of walking.
"We never had a car. We walked many, many miles and never thought anything about it," he said.
Later on, Williams was an electrician for Marshall Fields for nine years. During that time, he walked seven miles per day around the different floors of the building. He had to walk 2-1/2 miles many of those years to get to transportation to go to work.
Today, when the weather is severe, Williams said he is careful not to take any chances. He will wait until there are clear paths to walk on before he goes out in the snowy weather.
"I dress for the weather," he said. "I have a winter cap with ear flaps. I have a parka over the ear muffs, heavy corduroy slacks, a face mask and mittens over my gloves."
Once the sidewalks or roads are clear enough for Williams, he plans to continue his 17 miles per week walking. Even with the snow on the ground recently, Williams still finds plenty to do.
"I keep occupied. This morning, I shoveled out a path at Grace Village for an hour and 15 minutes," he said.
Other activities that keep Williams busy include rewiring lamps for neighbors and friends, and repairing tape recorders and other appliances.
"It's not uncommon to find a lamp or tape recorder outside my door for me to fix," he said. "I don't always know who they belong to until after I fix them and someone calls me and asks if it's been fixed yet."
He doesn't charge for the work he does, but he is often paid by cookies.
"It's a challenge and it is fascinating. I don't have any spare time," he said.
Other interests for Williams include singing in the quartet for the Grace Village Chapel. He said they have sung in seven churches in the area by invitation, and he has whistled songs at four of the seven churches.
Some songs he said he whistles includes "Beneath the Cross," "Sweet Bye and Bye," "Brahm's Lullaby," and "almost any number I can whistle. I've enjoyed it all these years.
"I'm disappointed that it's somewhat of a lost art," he said.
Williams' whistling goes back to his childhood, when he would whistle as he walked.
One of his earlier singing performances was in the chapel aboard the USS Chenengo. He served on the small aircraft carrier as an electrician during World War II, where he earned nine major battle stars for battles the ship was in while he was aboard. The ship was a standard oil tanker that was converted to an aircraft carrier. It carried 32 planes and 1-1/2 million gallons of fuel.
The battles Williams was involved in included Tarawa, Guam, Rota and the Okinawa campaign. The ship was also involved in the battle of Leyte Gulf in the Phillipines during a typhoon. He served from June 1943 to October 1945.
He said they were given liberty at the islands of Mog Mog and Pago Pago.
"If anyone (who reads this) was there, they'd smile at that," he said.
"Later on," Williams said, "after the war was over, our ship was selected to pick up the liberated prisoners of war from Nagasaki, who were liberated after the war was over, and we took them to Okinawa."
Williams' wife of 58 years died 10 years ago, but she used to walk with him since the early days of their marriage.
Today he walks alone, but with a smile on his face, he said.
"Part of my philosophy is to help people smile. You don't spread sunshine without getting some on you," he said. [[In-content Ad]]