These are just some things I remember and have notes about. I'll add more from time to time. If anyone wants to send me a new story or more information, or to correct something I have here, please email me. I've labeled each paragraph to indicate who provided the information for that story.

[PAUL] Harold Lester McNabb was born August 21, 1926 in Springfield, Greene County, Missouri. He was the fourth and youngest child of Hite McNabb and Hannah Ann Permelia Catherine (Hogan) McNabb. Harold's oldest sister, Effie Ealus (Aunt Ealus) was born in 1917; his brother John Elvis (Uncle Johnny) was born in 1919; and his sister Gladys Ilene (Aunt Ilene) was born in 1922. I was told that there was another sister who was stillborn about a year after Johnny was born, but I don't have any more information on that.

[PAUL] According to Ilene, Harold was always very interested in animals. When he was a boy, Harold would always be bringing home stray animals and taking care of injured ones. He had a "pet" pigeon once, and Johnny and Ealus killed it and cooked it one day as a kind of joke. Apparently Harold was pretty upset and didn't think it was at all funny.

[PAUL] Dad told the story that when he was a child he had been playing outside when his mother called him home for dinner. He ignored her and continued to play on a swing in a tree in a nearby yard. After he had ignored her several times, lightening struck either the tree or something nearby and scared him to death. He thought it was God punishing him for his disobedience. He quickly ran home, but I don't know if he always remembered the lesson.

[PAUL] When Harold was young, the family's house burned down. It was in the afternoon while the kids were in school. Ilene said that the smoke could be seen from the school, and that the McNabb children were called in and sent home early. The family lost nearly everything they owned. They received help from several other families and from the Salvation Army (at least that's what I remember Dad saying). Dad told me that he always put money in the Salvation Army buckets at Christmas because he remembered being helped as a child.

[PAUL] Hite and Hannah divorced when Harold was still in school. The family had never been well-off, and the depression was in full swing, so Harold got a job to help support his mother. After school he would ride across town on a bus and wash dishes and do other jobs to make a little money. He said he gave most of it to his mom for food and other household expenses.

[PAUL] Harold joined the Army near the end of World War II. He was in the 155th Combat Engineer Battalion, 11th Airborne Division - Army of Occupation Japan and his serial number was 37760250. He was stationed in the Philippines for several months. He was part of the occupying forces in Japan and he always had a soft spot in his heart for Japan and things Japanese. When I received my mission call to Japan in 1976, Dad told me stories about some of the people he had known and hoped that I might possibly meet someone he had known. I never did.

Someone may want to write up about how Dad and Johnny built the house next to their mom's (on the corner lot).

[PAUL] After the war, Harold returned to Missouri and went to college. He had been active in religious groups in the army and was considering becoming a minister. He was attending an Old Testament course when he was first "noticed" by Patricia Mae Williams, who was also in the course. She said that this young blond guy would often come in late to class and one time she decided to find out more about him. They were married the 2nd of April 1949.

I'm missing information about his college years.

[PAUL] Harold decided to become an English teacher after becoming "disillusioned" about being a minister. I don't know the issues, but I heard that though he was still religious, he no longer wanted to make it his profession. After Harold graduated from college he taught in Springfield (or Lebanon?), Missouri, for a few years.

I'd like to have more about his early career.

[PAUL] Around 1957, the family moved to Chicago Heights, Illinois, a southern suburb of Chicago. They were there about 6 months or so until they could buy a house at 223 Arrowhead Street in Park Forest, Illinois. Harold was teaching at Bloom High School. In 1960 Harold got a position teaching English and coaching debate at Prospect High School, so the family moved to Mount Prospect, Illinois, at the end of August 1960.

[PAUL] Harold and Pat had five children: Rebecca Anne (1951), David Alan (1953), Paul Andrew (1955), John Mark (1957), and Martha Jane (1962). Becky was born in Lebanon, Missouri. David, Paul, and Mark were born in Springfield, Missouri. Martha was born in Chicago, Illinois.

I hope Becky will write up the story about Dad and the giant Christmas tree trunk fiasco. It would also be interesting to have info about his work on genealogy, the MW Newsletter, and the Illinois Genealogical Society. Maybe someone can write up the story about Dad and the squirrel. It would be nice to talk about all the things Dad worked on around the house: upstairs, basement, garage, etc. Other things like his gardening, PHS jobs, chewing paper, protection of the Emerson Park tree, post-PHS teaching jobs, all his traveling, etc. would be interesting. Any takers?

[PAUL] Harold and Pat divorced October 8, 1982, and Harold lived in the northwest suburbs for a while before moving into Chicago. He had an apartment on the north side for several years and then bought a house on Carmen Avenue just off of Western Avenue. His friends all called him "Mac". Harold died in his home on Sunday morning, September 28, 1997. When he failed to show up for a breakfast appointment with some friends, they went to his house and found him dead.