J. William "Bill" Dean

Birth: He was born in 1871 at Waterville, Kansas.  

Family Information: He had married Anna (Long) Dean at Kay, Oklahoma in 1906.

Father of Kenneth Dean.  

Description: He had lost his right hand prior to coming to the colony.

Pre-Colony History: In 1880 he was living in Kansas with his parents and siblings.

In Kansas he'd learned railroading and from there went on to an Indian agency. He then became a grain buyer for 19 years before "reforming" and coming to Llano.

In 1910 and 1920 he was living in Kansas with his wife and children and working as a grainbuyer for an Elevator Co. In 1925 he was living in Ottawa County, Kansas with his wife and children and working as a grainbuyer.  

Home in Colony: In 1935 he and his son were living in the Newllano Colony.  

Job in Colony: In June 1931 he "painted the new hotel in the industrial section -- a building 78 x 120 feet and two stories high -- despite the fact that he had but one hand, and the left one at that. Terra cotta with olive frames and black for the sash. The color was thought to be probably as good as could be selected as the dust would not show to any extent."

In November 1931 he was part of Mrs. Killian's six-man crew who turned out about 3,000 potato crate sides, fully nailed. Normally it required nine to run the plant, but the six of them managed it that day. In addition to Mrs. Killian, the crew included: Iris Busick, Irene Wilkerson and Comrades Banta, Bickle and Dean.

In January 1934 he was working in the planing mill and making plans to paint the old hotel, inside and out. In July 1934 he had begun the job of painting the office which presented a finer appearance than it had for some years prior.

In August 1935, he was directing a crew of boys putting together the crates and running the nailer as they worked to fill an order at the crate factory.

In October, after the departure of David Rice, he was placed in charge of the crate factory and kept it running smoothly by placing the slats on the moving apparatus in the proper order, along with A.M. Murray, Bert Busick, Bill Happel and Jack Murray. 

Other Info: In January 1936 he was quite ill with a very heavy cold and neuritis.  

Post-Colony History: In 1940 he and his son were living in a home in the unincorporated New Llano, Louisiana (site of the old colony).  

Death: He died in 1947 at Kansas City, Missouri. At the time he was a retired grain buyer and had lived in that area for the previous two years. He was buried in Union Cemetery at Kansas City, Missouri.  

Sources: US Census: 1880, 1910, 1920, 1940; Oklahoma Marriage Records; Kansas State Census: 1925; "Llano Colonist": June 27, 1931, November 7, 1931, January 27, 1934, July 7, 1934, October 19, 1935, August 24, 1935, January 4, 1936, October 3, 1936; US Social Security Applications and Claims Index; FindAGrave.com