By Rod Rowe
May 10, 2008 11:33 pm
—
Nappanee native Bill Best, 91, is a World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Air Force as a mess sergeant, so he has many stories about the campaigns across North Africa and into Europe.
Bill explained he is thankful that his life has included three rare experiences that few people can say they did even one of them.
First blimp
In the 1930s, Bill was in Miami Beach and saw the “Mayflower,” the first “Goodyear Blimp,” and took two rides aboard the craft. The 30-minute ride cost $5. The two current blimps are modeled after the Mayflower.
Then a few years later, Bill was able to travel with a Presbyterian minister and friend to Cuba. He said they flew the old China Clipper from Miami to Havana, where “they rolled out the red carpet, thinking he was a ‘prime minister’ rather than a preacher,” Bill laughed. He said they stayed at the Prada, walked on marble floors and “it was magnificent.”
Then more recently, Bill and his family were able to fly to Paris on the Concord, then went to Switzerland and found his grandmother’s home and visited other relatives.
“It was just three hours and 19 minutes from New York to Paris,” he explained.
He said during the 11-day visit, he found his aunt Emma and visited her family. She lived in a three-story house with window boxes under every window.
“I’ve had an interesting life, but nothing was planned,” Bill said, from the comfort of his recliner in his living room. As a young man, he explained, “I told my dad ‘I want to travel’ and visited Florida and California.”
He was single and met and befriended people with the Ringling Brothers Circus at the winter home in Florida. He was a photographer and shot pictures with a 35 mm camera, taking color slides in the 1930s and 1940s. He has photos of the shots in albums to show visitors.
He explained he had heart bypass surgery in September 2000 in Elkhart, and took a time to recover, but now feels good and gets around well.
Bill explained he is the fourth William Best, named after his grandfather who started a meat cutting business in Nappanee in the 1880s. He explained that cattle would be brought to the town on the B&O Railroad and the animals were driven by horseback to a processing plant about a mile east of town.
“I’m the fourth William in a row. The original one was the first registered Democrat in Kosciusko County,” he points out, proud to continue the family tradition of supporting Democrats.
He remembers helping deliver meat to his father’s customers, but said he started in the business at age 9.
“I delivered meat to Frank Coppes (of Coppes Cabinets) and he would play Carruso records for me. I think that got me interested in music,” he explained.
Bill grew up at a home on West Market Street and graduated from high school in 1935. “There were 48 of us, and I think 15 are still alive,” he said, as he began naming his classmates.
His meat-cutting was interrupted at the start of the war, as Bill enlisted in the Air Corps six months and a day before the Pearl Harbor attack.
Then in his 20s, Bill said he was the oldest guy in his squad. His campaign was with the “Men of the American Beagle Squadron.” He remembers beginning the WW II campaign in London, then traveling through North Africa and then through Italy.
He said once an officer asked him to plan a special party for nurses and officers and he found a winery where he bought 300 bottles of champagne. And he explained that he collected the cigarettes that were issued to GIs and traded the tobacco for fresh food.
Once while on a five-day pass, Bill said he traveled to the Vatican City and was very close to the Pope during his visit. “I could have touched him,” he said.
Bill and Chris attend the annual reunion of the military group and helped with printing a history book of the outfit in 1993.
First married in 1953
Bill explained he met his first wife, Irene, while he worked at the meat counter at Klink’s grocery at Syracuse. They dated and he fell for her, marrying her in 1953. With Irene came her 6-year-old daughter, Diane. He explained that Diane, now 62, went on to marry shopping mall developer Herb Simon and raised her family in Indianapols.
Bill is quick to give credit for much of his world travels to the Simons. He explained he was able to travel to Captiva Island and visited national and state figures through the Simon connections. And the family has the connection with the Indianapolis Pacers, too, and has enjoyed attending ball games over the years.
Bill explained that Irene developed a heart ailment and died of a heart attack in 1988.
A few years later, he was introduced to Chris through long-time friend LaVern Pletcher.
Victorian guest house
Chris came to Nappanee from a Chicago suburb and opened the Victorian Guest House on East Market in 1986. She wanted to jump into activities in the community, and was one of the first women members of the Kiwanis Club. She explained with a laugh that fellow Kiwanian Bobby Wilson registered her as a Republican back then, but she has since returned to her Democrat roots. She added that she even hosted a fund-raiser for aspiring state Senator Marvin Riegsecker at the Guest House, also through the urging of Wilson.
She said Pletcher told her she might like to meet Best, and on one of their first “dates” he took her to Shapiro’s Deli in Indianapolis on their way to a Pacer’s game. She had doubts about having dinner at a deli, until she sampled the fare. And then she was impressed with courtside tickets to the ball game and meeting the team owner after the game.
She said she knew there was an age difference right away, but she was impressed with Bill’s looks and manners. And the couple had much in common, such as their love of travel.
Bill and Chris were married in 1992, and again Bill got a 6-year-old daughter in the bargain.
Stephanie is now a 22-year-old Purdue University graduate headed to Phoenix in June to teach for two years in the Teach America program. She will continue her education at Arizona State University, Chris said.
Chris explained that through testing, she learned in the late 1980s that she had developed multiple sclerosis. Her mother also had the disease, she said. After breaking her leg four years ago, she said, she has used a scooter to help her get around. She sold the guest house in 1994 and enjoys getting around their Elm Street ranch house with no stairs.
But the couple is not slowing down. Their schedule has them at their Tuesday noon Kiwanis meeting each week and they read with third graders at Woodview Elementary School on Wednesdays and Nappanee Elementary on Thursdays. And Chris helps care for her father, who is living alone in his home a few blocks away.
“We go over there every day,” she said, to help him out. She communicates with him by telephone, and with others by computer.
The Bests took a trip to England and France aboard the Queen Mary 2 last September, visiting friends in London and Paris.
“We love Paris,” Chris added.
The couple may plan a trip to Europe later this year, visiting friends in Belgium whom they met at Captiva Island, Fla., a few years ago.
Bill complimented the Nappanee correspondent for The News, who works “to get a lot of good stuff in the paper about Nappanee.”
“It’s a beautiful community,” he concluded.
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