Obit in the Kansas City Morning Call paper:

"William J. Hillaker, 60, of 387 Turner Street, Allentown, died last Saturday in his home. Leigh County Deputy Coroner Wayne Snyder attributed death to natural causes. Hillaker was employeed by the former A&B Meats and Wentz Memorials, both Allentown. Born in Detroit, Michigan he was the son of the late Harold O. and Elizabeth (Crawford) Hillaker. He was an Army veteran of World War I. Surviving are two daughters, Sandra J.,wife of Adolf Arp of Murray, Utah and Cynthia O. of Kansas City, MO. a son, Johnny B. of Kansas City, a sister Glendower, wife of Richard Wills of Central Lake, Michigan."

~~~William noted as a 13 y/o while living with his mother in the 1940 federal census:

1940 United States Federal Census about Betty Hillaker
Name: Betty Hillaker
Respondent: Yes
Age: 41
Estimated birth year: abt 1899
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birthplace: Michigan
Marital Status: Widowed
Relation to Head of House: Head
Home in 1940: Highland Park, Wayne, Michigan
Map of Home in 1940: View Map
Street: Hamilton Avenue
Inferred Residence in 1935: Highland Park, Wayne, Michigan
Residence in 1935: Same Place
Resident on farm in 1935: No
Sheet Number: 12A
Number of Household in Order of Visitation: 263
Occupation: Clerk
House Owned or Rented: Rented
Value of Home or Monthly Rental if Rented: 45
Attended School or College: No
Highest Grade Completed: High School, 3rd year
Hours Worked Week Prior to Census: 40
Class of Worker: Wage or salary worker in Government work
Weeks Worked in 1939: 42
Income: 1050
Income Other Sources: Yes
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Betty Hillaker 41
William Hillaker 13

Source Citation: Year: 1940; Census Place: Highland Park, Wayne, Michigan; Roll: T627_1831; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 82-133.

Source Information:
Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls.

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Missouri Marriage Records
Name: William Hillaker
Age: 25
Race/Ethnicity: White
Birth Date: 15 Mar 1927
Marriage Date: 27 Jun 1952
Marriage Location: Jackson, Independence, Missouri
Marriage County: Jackson
Spouse Name: Lorene G La Due
Spouse Age: 23
Spouse Birth Date: 8 Sep 1929
Spouse Race/Ethnicity: White

Source Information:
Ancestry.com. Missouri Marriage Records, 1805-2002 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007.
Original data: Missouri Marriage Records. Jefferson City, MO, USA: Missouri State Archives. Microfilm.

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U.S. City Directories
Name: William Hillaker
Gender: Male
Residence Year: 1956
Street address: 707 Hamsav
Residence Place: Independence, Missouri, USA
Occupation: Iron Worker
Spouse: Lorene Hillaker
Publication Title: Independence, Missouri, City Directory, 1956

Source Information:
Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

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Imagine my surprise to discover that my mother had a half-brother, born to her father and his second known wife! It was through a random posting on the internet that this fact was discovered. Thank goodness for these genealogy message boards! On one I found a posting by an individual who I was later to learn was a renowned Genealogist in Salt Lake City (Carole Painter). She posted the following:
at http://genforum.genealogy.com/hilliker

Posted by: Carole Painter (ID *****4379) Date: August 22, 2005 at 12:50:50

"looking for Harold O Hillaker or Hilliker b:? Missouri?
need verification of this person. No census records to show
this person ever existed. supposedly has a son Wiiliam James
Hillaker b: 1927 and dying 1987 in Detroit Michigan."


Notify Administrator about this message? Followups:

Re: hilliker Helen Pickens Murphy 11/03/08
Re: hilliker Helen Pickens Murphy 2/10/09
Re: hilliker Helen Pickens Murphy 10/07/08


Posted by: Helen Pickens Murphy (ID *****0736) Date: October 07, 2008 at 03:41:06
In Reply to: hilliker by Carole Painter of 263


Hi Carole, do you know more about this Harold O. Hillaker? I have been looking for information about my grandfather who had the same name and middle initial, born in 1898 in Michigan. He apparently changed his name several times over the years, was married at least 3-4 times. Would be happy to exchange more info. Helen Murphy


Posted by: Helen Pickens Murphy (ID *****0736) Date: November 03, 2008 at 06:41:07
In Reply to: hilliker by Carole Painter of 263


Hi Carole, do you know if this William James Hillaker had a mother named Betty or Bettie and an older sibling named Glendower? I look forward to hearing from you on this family. Helen

**************************

To this day I have no idea why she posted this message ~ perhaps she was transcribing records or was helping someone with this search. I will be forever indebted to her for this amazing detail which lead to researching more of this William James and ultimately to his children and grandchildren! (Sandra Hillaker Arp, et al).

Carol was related to the Hersee family in Michigan and also posted messages regarding her research. Here is a posting she left on an Anecestry.com message board:

Re: Hersee in Michigan
kathy_heydon (View posts) Posted: 16 May 2008 3:47AM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Hersee, Hillaker, Mcquire Hello, I was just reading your post about "Hersee". I have information we could share. Charles Hersee was my Great Grandfather. When his daughter Ruth died she was a Mcguire
(I hope that is the corect spelling). The name Hillaker was her sister Eva Jane's (my Grandmother) married name.

Pam, the origional poster is my cousins daughter. I have information and pictures I would love to share with you. Contact me at
p a i n t e r 9 at a o l . c o m (take out ALL the spaces)
Hope to hear from you soon