Another Day Another Uncle With LaVerne & Shirley

Yesterday morning I learned of the passing of my Uncle Mel. This morning I checked in on the Bellingham Herald obituary section, looking for Uncle Mel.

And what do I see at the top of the list?

Willard Wilder.

Who is Wilder Wilder? He is my uncle. My mom's older brother.

I saw the picture and thought, okay, I've not seen Willard in awhile, that looks like him with a few extra pounds.

I started to read the obituary, thinking to myself, I'm going to have to call my mom, due to me thinking, no one else would have seen this who might call her.

Then, I started reading the obit. It said Willard lived in Blaine. I thought, well, they must have moved from Custer. Then it said Willard was born to Willard and Marieta Wilder. I thought, that ain't right, it should say LaVerne and Vera Wilder. Then it said Willard married Kathryn Wilson, in Custer.

So, I'm thinking, well, that makes since, married in Custer, that's where they lived. But Kathryn? I know Willard's wife as Aunt Shotty? Is her real name Kathryn?

And then I read Willard was preceded in death by his sister, Shirley Rozelle? Huh? My mom's name is Shirley. From that point on none of the info was right and I knew this was a different Willard Wilder.

How bizarre. That there would be two Willard Wilder's in Whatcom County, both with a sister named Shirley.

So, I called my mom and asked her if she knew there was another Willard Wilder in Whatcom County. Mom was aware of this. But she did not know that Willard #2 also had a sister named Shirley.

Did you catch that my mom's dad's name was LaVerne. That means he and my mom were LaVerne & Shirley. Years before they became a hit sit-com.