Freestone County, Texas
Biographies 



       Wilmer C. "W. C." Day

  Wilmer C. "W. C." Day (b. Sept. 29, 1915) was the third generation of his family 
to live in the Turlington community eight miles east of Fairfield, Freestone Co., 
Tex. He was the youngest of six children born to Charlie Van Day (b. Oct. 22, 1880, 
d. July 25, 1960) and Mattie Childs Day (b. Feb. 22, 1882, d. Aug. 27, 1934), both
natives of Freestone County.
  Charlie V. Day and his wife were a farming family at Turlington and were charter 
members of the Antioch Baptist Church, where he was a Deacon and song director. 
They lived in the same community until their deaths. They are buried in the Antioch 
Cemetery adjoining the churchyard.
  Wilmer C. Day's paternal grandparents were William J. and Margaret M. Tillman 
Day, who spent most of their lives at Turlington. They are buried in the Day 
Cemetery a few miles north of the Antioch Baptist Church. His maternal grandparents 
were Robert Richard Childs Sr. and Elizabeth Robertson Childs, who also lived
at Turlington. They are buried in the Antioch Cemetery.
  Wilmer C. Day and Ella Perkins Russell of the Lone Oak community near Rusk, 
Tex., m. in her home. Her father, L. Bingham Russell, an ordained minister, 
officiated. Their children: (1) James Michael, b. June 24, 1941, Rusk, m. Kathy 
Ann Woodard, two children; (2) Brooke Van, b. Jan. 30, 1945, Orange, Tex., m. 
Pamela Jane Taylor, three children.
  Wilmer C. Day graduated from Fairfield High School and received an Associate 
of Science degree from Henderson County Junior College in Athens, Tex. He farmed 
briefly, then worked at the Rusk State Hospital. The family moved to Beaumont in 
1942 where "W. C." was employed by Consolidated Steel Shipbuilding Corp., in 
Orange throughout the national crisis. After the war, he worked with a construction 
firm in the same area.
  The Day family returned to Rusk in May, 1950, and was active in the First 
Baptist Church and resumed employment by the Rusk State Hospital until retirement. 
He retired May 31, 1978, as supervisor of the Lex T. Neill Hospital Facility, and 
she retired May 31, 1977, as Benefits Coordinator. After retirement, he was 
District Court bailiff until his death in St. Luke Hospital in Houston, Tex.
He is buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery in Rusk.
      - Credit:  Ella Perkins Russell Day