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Lenard Wood London (b. April 30, 1920, d. July 01, 1991)

Lenard Wood London (son of Elvin Young London and Mary Elizabeth Pardon) was born April 30, 1920 in Obion Co., Tn, and died July 01, 1991 in Memphis Tn., Shelby County at Hospital. He married Myrtle Irene Whitten on April 03, 1942 in Caruthersville, Mo., daughter of John Berlin Whitten and Tennessee Porter McGee.

Notes for Lenard Wood London:
When Lenard was born his parents lived near Worley, Tn.
His family were share croppers and moved frequently around Obion and Gibson Counties in Tennessee. He was the 4th of 8 boys born to Mary and Young London.
In 1939 when he was 19 years old he joined the Civilian Conservation Corp. (CCC), as there was no other work available. During his 2 years in the CCC he recieved a third grade equivilancy education, and training as a carpenter. During this time his father died, leaving his request that L.W. provide for his mother and four younger brothers.
After his discharge he worked as a laborer on the construction of the Milan Tn. Ammunition Plant, and saved enough money by 1941 to buy a car, a 1937 Chevrolet. He married in 1942 and moved to Memphis, Tn. to do carpenter work. Less than a year later, they moved back to Gibson Co., Tn. with his mother to get the crop in. Their first child Patricia was born here.
He tried to join the army during WWll, but was turned down because of back problems.
In 1946 he sold the family car for financing to build a house. From the sale of that house he used the money to build another house. Another child Brenda was born in 1946.
The family moved to Michigan, where he worked at Pontiac Motors for about a year. While there he won a new freezer by writing a short essay on why he liked his job.
They moved back to Gibson Co., Tn. by 1948 where he continued to build houses, and bought a truck with money made from the sale of a house. He drove the truck, which had to be unloaded with a shovel, during the day and continued building at night. This truck is what eventually led him into his construction business in Union City, Tn.
One of these housed located at 304 E. South St., Dyer, Tn. was for his growing family. LW, Myrtle, Patsy age 5 and Brenda age 2 moved in this home in 1948, unfinished inside. LW & Myrtle working together fininshed the inside before winter. In Oct. his son Ray was born. In 1949 his mother became sick and unable to care for herself. She and her youngest son Robert London age 16 moved in with them. This made 7 people in a small 2 bedroom house. The larger of the bedrooms had 3 double beds, for the children. There was a bed in the living room for his mother. And a very small bedroom for LW & Myrtle. Bath were taken in a wash tub in the kitchen in the winter and on the back porch in the summer. Myrtle raised a large garden and canned most of the food. I loved the times when they would kill hogs and build a fire out back and cook out the lard.
LW's mother died in Oct of 1949, I remember she died in the night. The children were woke up and sent to a neighbor's house.
Robert lived with us for about 2 years.
A 4th child, Barbara, was born in 1953.
LW continued to sell gravel for driveways and parking lots, and started to also pave them with asphalt, bought from Hadley Const Co.
He later bought an old plant to mix asphalt and located it in Union City, Tn. He drove from Dyer to Union City to work for several years. In 1963 he decided to move to UC, and bought a small farm and built a larger house. Their daughter Patsy and her husband Robert Reed moved into the house in Dyer. LW was a very loving and sentimental man. I remember seeing tears in his eyes when Patsy and Robert sold the old house.
He lived and worked in Union City until his death in 1991.

He was usually called L. W. London

L.W. was a business man, owner and operator of a construction Co. called Union City Paving Company. His business was located in Union City, Obion Co., Tn. on Hwy 22.
This was a family business in which all his children and some of his brothers worked until his death in 1991. At that time the business was sold to Ford Const Co. of Dyersburg, Tn.

More About Lenard Wood London:
Burial: Eastview Cemetery, Union City, Obion Co., Tn.

Picture of Lenard Wood London and Myrtle Irene Whitten

Lenard & Myrtle London

More About Lenard Wood London and Myrtle Irene Whitten:
Single: April 03, 1942, Caruthersville, Mo..

Children of Lenard Wood London and Myrtle Irene Whitten are:

+Brenda Joyce London, b. January 03, 1946, Gibson Co., Tn.
+Patricia Sue London, b. May 10, 1943, Gibson County, Tn..
+Lenard Ray London, b. October 15, 1948, Gibson Co., Tn, d. July 1995, Madison Co. Jackson, Tn., at Hospital.
+Barbara Ann London, b. January 08, 1953, Gibson Co., Tn.