Wendell Leon Grant was born in Lake Creek Township in Williamson County, on January 26, 1893 to farmer Elijah Lodge Grant (1863-1943) and Sarah Ella O’Neal Grant (1867-1961). Leon Grant spent 54 years of his lengthy life in public service to his community and to his country serving in WWI and also as teacher and principle of the Washington School and principle of the Marion Junior High School.
In the 1900 and 1910 census records, Leon was still living on his father’s farm in Lake Creek Township. In the latter census, Leon was 17 and helping his father work the family farm.
Beginning at the age of 18, he taught for 33 years in the public schools of Williamson County.
In June of 1917, Leon registered for the WWI draft at the age of 24. He had been employed by the Marion School district. He noted in his registration that he was employed by E.J. Grant Board District 23. He was described as tall and slender with blue eyes and black hair. He claimed an exemption for service citing heart trouble.
Regardless of whether he had heart issues or not, during the period from May 18, 1918 to July 18, 1919, Grant’s teaching career was interrupted by his service in World War I. From his induction into service at Marion, Illinois, he was sent to Camp Sheridan in Montgomery, Alabama, and after a few short weeks of training, he was sent to France. There he spent a full year as part of Company B of the 22nd Engineers. Deeply affected by the horrors of war, he talked little about his war experiences until his later years when time had somewhat softened his memories of them.
By the 1920 census, Leon was then aged 26 and was teaching in Marion at the Washington School, but was still living on his father’s farm along with six other siblings.
By 1922, Leon and most of the siblings appear to have moved to Marion and purchased a home at 701 N. Logan Street. According to a Marion directory, those living in the home were Leon, a teacher at Washington; Alice Grant, student; E.L. Grant, farmer; Eugene Grant, coal miner; Hessie Grant, sub clerk at the post office; Lodge Grant, a student and Mary Grant, teacher.
He earned his Bachelors of Education degree at Southern Illinois University, attending the University mostly during his summer vacations from his teaching.
At Southern Illinois University, he was elected to membership in Kappa Phi Kappa, men’s educational honor society.
In a 1927 Marion directory, those living at 701 N. Logan were Leon, Principle of Washington School; Mary Grant and Hessie Grant, clerk at the Post Office. In the next year, 1928, only Leon and his sister Hessie were listed in the home.
The 1930 federal census, found Leon, aged 37, Sister, Hessie Grant, aged 40 and Brother Virgil Grant, aged 28, a garage mechanic in the home. Leon valued the home which they owned at $1,000. In a 1939 directory, sister Hessie was still living with her brother Leon.
Since Leon was intensely interested in his students and their welfare, during the regular school year his teaching occupied most of his time.
One facet of education which particularly intrigued him was the part athletics plays in the building of a student’s character, being immensely proud of his accomplishments of the Marion Junior High School basketball teams he coached during the period when he was principal of that school. He thought of the game as a teaching device, holding the belief than any young person can be taught if he is sufficiently motivated and is given a step by step explanation of the subject matter to be taught. His counseling of students with personal problems also took up a great deal of his time.
The last 20 years of Mr. Grant’s work life he spent in conscientious service to the State of Illinois, being an Adjudicator in the Department of Labor. In 1965, he retired from this position to pursue other interests. Upon his retirement, he joined the local Retired Teachers’ Association.
After his retirement in 1965, managing the family farm became Mr. Grant’s hobby. He was interested in conservation, in raising beef cattle, and in gardening. He delighted in showing the cattle to visitors and in giving away quantities of produce from the garden, whose cultivation be directed from the shade of a tree, being unable to do the work himself. He was an interested member of the local Farm Bureau and an avid reader of many farm magazines.
A descendent of Williamson County pioneers, Henry Tuggle Lee and Wyatt Stinson Grant, Mr. Grant was understandably interested in the Grant-Lee Association from its very beginning. In fact, he frequently helped his father, who was the organization’s first president, and he himself served as president from 1930 to 1932. In more recent years, he many times has qualified at the annual Grant-Lee Reunion as “the oldest person attending.”
Mr. Grant’s interest in history and genealogy led to his becoming a member of both the Williamson County Historical Society and the Southern Illinois Genealogy Society. Since his memory extended into the late 1800’s, he was often interviewed by persons seeking information about earlier times and early families. Dr. John D. Sinks, Washington, D.C., author of “Sinks: A Family History” which was a neighbor of the Grants, was one such person. He clothed bare facts with interesting anecdotes.
Though not formally affiliated with any church, Mr. Grant was, nevertheless, a deeply religious person. In addition to his study of the Bible, he studied literature, especially poetry, for expressions of a belief in a Supreme Being.
Wendell Leon Grant, age 87, of 701 N. Logan St., died in the Marion Memorial Hospital on July 3, 1980.
His parents, preceded him in death as did one sister, Hessie Lelle Grant, and one brother, Eugene F. Grant, both of this county. One brother, Lodge O. Grant of McLeansboro, and three sisters, Mary C. Grant, Alice I. Grant and Ruth E. Grant of Marion survived him. Also surviving his death were eight nieces and nephews; the ones living in the local area then were John D. Grant of Marion and Mrs. Carl (Nanette) Cottingham of Carterville.
Funeral services were held on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Wilson Funeral Home by Rev. Jettie Vaughn, burial followed in Rose Hill Cemetery.
(Extracted from the Marion Daily Republican, July 1980; Federal Census Records; Marion Street Directories; compiled by Sam Lattuca on 12/20/2013)