William Benjamin Kennedy

     William Benjamin Kennedy was born on 8 February 1894 at Waverly Plantation, near Chenango, Brazoria County, Texas.¹ He was the son of Walter Kennedy and Sarah Kimbrough Munson. He married Eva Butler in Port Arthur, Jefferson County, Texas.² He died on 22 January 1985 in Angleton, Brazoria County, Texas, at age 90.¹ He was buried in Angleton Cemetery, Angleton, Brazoria County, Texas.³
     
     Bill graduated from Angleton High School. Afterward he attended San Antonio Academy. He first worked with Adriance Munson in civil engineering and surveying in Brazoria County. Before 1930, he and his brother George moved to Port Arthur where Frank Smith had secured jobs for them at the Texas Company (Texaco). He and George later owned a petroleum distributing business in Port Arthur. While living there, he met and married Eva Butler. They moved back to Angleton where Bill was a cattleman. He and Eva lived just west of Angleton on the old road to Bailey's Prairie. Their only child, a son who was always called "Buddy," was born with spina bifida and was confined to a wheelchair all of his life.

     Writer's note: When Cousin Bill was a young man, a friend accidentally discharged a twelve guage shotgun hitting Cousin Bill in the back of the head. Fortunately he was leaning over and the shot only penetrated his scalp and was never removed. He would tell us kids the story, and when we expressed our doubts about him walking around with a head full of shot, he would let us rub his head to prove he wasn't telling us a tale. He was always a cattleman in my memory, and in the big drought in 1950, his horse stepped into a crack and fell, throwing him and breaking his pelvis in thirty-eight places. He was always very active, and when he was up in his eighties, he fell from a ladder while painting his house and broke his hip. He recovered with only routine care. Daddy (Joe Munson), who was very fond of Cousin Bill, always said he was a "tough ol' booger," and looking back, I know he was right.