After nearly 4 years of searching genealogy sites etc., I have next to no information about his childhood, parents or actual birthplace. I only have a few of his personal documents in which he listed his birthdate as 06-28-1919 on one and 06-28-1928 on another. His parents names were listed as Willard and Adrian and birthplace noted as being in Clinton County, Illinois and also Chicago on another.

I was born on his birthday (maybe his birthday) on 06-28-1954 and as far as I know he first came to Dayton, Ohio around 1950 or early 1950's. I do believe that June 28 was his birthdate as he always bragged to friends about me being born on his birthday, from the time I was very young up to his death and I was in my 30's. He and my mother (Florence Opal Bell) were married in 1953. I also had a brother (Michael Ray Voss) who was born on 06-16-1956 and died in 1975.

My dad was in the produce business and was also a grocer and had total knowledge of the 2 businesses, including grocery buying, retailing and merchandising. He knew every fruit, vegetable and plant that is sold at retail or wholesale anywhere, how it's grown, how to display and sell, how to cook it, etc. He must have learned that very young somewhere! He was ALWAYS seen with a cigar hanging from his mouth, was a beer drinker and could put away a whole platter stacked with corn on the cob! He made his own soups, chili, horseradish, sauerkraut, butter produced from shaken mayo jars and was a very good cook. He was also known for his generous gifts to those less forunate during Christmas and Thanksgiving, especially kids. There was an old black man living next door to his grocery during the late 50's/early 60's who was an alcoholic and had nothing other than the cigarettes and bottles of Wild Irish Rose he gave him for cleaning the parking lot and every year that he ran the store (17 years) we would drive over there on Thanksgiving day and deliver this man a plate of what we were getting ready to sit down and have for the holiday. And he was always giving away fruit baskets and loose fruit to kids who had nothing. Don't know if it meant anything but when I was young he made mention of an orphanage from his childhood and the reality of being a kid and having nothing!

When I was young he told us stories of being in Chicago and Cicero, Ill., and Calumet City, Indiana during the depression, going on fishing trips many times to Michigan (Colon, Mich.–Sturgeon Lake?), friends in Green Bay, Wisconsin who owned a lake cabin, and he also told many stories of an orphanage, most I of which I don't remember as well as talk of living on a farm . Also mentioned having a sister in Cincinnati (Ruth). Not often, but he did mention the name.

This is a strange search I have been doing since 1999. I have been unable to find ANY information about him.

Growing older I can remember up until his death he was very reluctant to discuss anything anymore relating to his past or even his parents and at times would become outraged when talk of it was brought up. To this day I have no idea who my grandparents are/were, or any other possible Voss family relation I may have and it's important to me to maybe someday find out some information about his past. Not only to learn of my family roots but also because it is so strange as to why or what he may have been hiding!

That is about all I know for now and I will add additional info. as I learn of it. If anyone has any kind of information that may be of use to me I would greatly appreciate it. As I have discovered there are thousands of Voss searches out there and seems like just as many named 'William'.

William Ashton Voss

bv0654@webtv.net

WILLIAM (Bill) VOSS PHOTO (pre-1950)