Lois Elaine Milburn
Lois was born August 16, 1905 in Richland, Michigan, the second of Bert and May's children. As a young girl she spent many summers with her Grandma Halliday on her farm outside Marshall, MI. She was very close with this grandma and earned the nickname "Grandma's little stick-tight" by her family.
She started school when she was five years old at the little schoolhouse in Lee Center,
Michigan.Her first grade year was spent in DeWitt, MI and then over the next several years
the family lived in Lansing, Milwaukee, Racine and Oconomowoc, WI. After four years
living in 
Oconomowoc the Milburns moved back to Michigan and
bought a house on Clinton St. Lois finished her senior year at Central High School
and went on to Western Michigan University where she got a 2 year teaching degree.
Her first teaching job was at Buchanan, MI, but she missed home and got a job teaching in
Comstock. 
The Milburn household was a rowdy and fun place filled with lots of
Milburn kids and their friends. One of the frequent visitors to the house was Dick
Milburn's high school friend, Edward Persons. Lois and Ed eventually married on
August 15, 1931. They made their home on Lakeway Dr. in Kalamazoo. Ed worked
as an auto mechanic at Denoyer's in downtown Kalamazoo and Lois continued teaching at
Comstock until four weeks before their son Bill was born. She returned to teaching
around 1947 after going back to school and getting a four year degree and a masters
degree. She then taught for the next 24 years. After retirement Lois and Ed
spent several years travelling the countryside camping and canoeing and visiting
family. The two settled into a retirement village in Florida and lived there until
1987 when they moved near their son Jim in northern Illinois. Ed died on November 9,
1988 and Lois died May 30, 1995 in McHenry, IL.
Lois and Ed were the parents of four children; William, Ruthmary, Hatsy and Jim.
William Robert Persons, b. March 7, 1933 in Kalamazoo. Married in 1954 to Sally Schrier; divorced 1982; married 1983 to Bev Thomason. Lives in Solon, IA. Five children: Kim Michael, Pamela Suzanne, Eric Robert, Patrick Kendall, and Rebecca Joy. Kim has three children; Jane, Gwen and Claire; Pam has two children, Sean and Sara; Eric has three children, Ian, Ashton and Corinne; Pat has three children, Kendall, Hillary and Paige.
Ruthmary Persons, b. November 29, 1934 in Kalamazoo. Married Ed Sykes in 1960. Lives in Dearborn, MI. Five children: Michelle Marie, Susan Irene, Debra Ann, Michael Edward, and Sandra Lynn. Sue has a son Joshua; Debbie has four children, Joel, Samantha, Sabrina and JJ; Sandy has a daughter, Grace.
Harriett Eileen Persons, b. April 24, 1939 in Kalamazoo. Married John Cook in 1959. Lives in Cincinnati, OH. Two children, Laurinda Rae and John Bradley.
Edward James Persons, b. November 9, 1940 in Kalamazoo. Married Jacqulyn Baden in 1960. Two sons: Stephen Michael and Joseph Scott. Steve has two children, Jacob and Sarah. Jim next married Martha Smith in 1966. They have two daughters, Cheri Lynn and Barbara Jean. Barbara has a daughter Kasey.
Bill, Hatsy, Jim & Ruthmary - 1995