“Mr. William “Bill” Stevens was born in 1924 in the small town of Lovingston. As he grew up, he did everything he could to help his family make it through the first challenge of his life, the Great Depression. He worked odd jobs as a child and hunted for squirrels and rabbits to help put food on the table. His parents never asked for his help, he just jumped in and did his part. He was grateful that his family never went hungry and his mother often fed others who weren’t as blessed.
Mr. Stevens next challenge in life came dramatically at the age of 18. He received his draft notice to serve in the army during World War II. Two days after D-Day, he landed with his division at Utah Beach. They were all terrified but knew what to do. In the ensuing weeks, he had many close calls and lost many friends. He was seriously wounded by machine gun fire in Saint-Lo, France. He said God must have had a purpose for his life, greater than he could imagine, because he survived. He received his Purple Heart and recovered for five months in England before being sent back to fight until the end of the war.
After returning home, Mr. Williams was determined to make something of himself and decided to go to college on the G.I. Bill. Although school was challenging for him after the horrors of the war, he was so grateful for the opportunity. He met the love of his life, Betty, and they married in June 1949. They had two children.
Mr. Williams now lives at Lynn Care Center and keeps the nurses laughing by cracking jokes. He says he wouldn’t change anything about his life, and he would do it all over again.
Lynn Care Center at Warren Memorial Hospital, Front Royal