Willard James Horn

A long-time resident of Rochester, Washington, Will was born in Stacy, Virginia. His parents were Lena Cosby Yates and Miles Horn. His beloved mother, father, and siblings (brothers Richard, Kermit and Harold, and sister Alma) all preceded him in death.

Growing up during the Great Depression and World War II, Will witnessed massive changes during his lifetime. He grew up without electricity or indoor plumbing, plowing the family fields with a mule, and digging coal for the family’s stove. He could tell you what time of year was good for hunting squirrels and rabbits, which he did often as a child to help put food on the table. He often fondly recounted working on his grandfather’s farm Saturday mornings to earn money to go see movies Saturday evening. He ended familiar with Internet, cell phones, digital cameras, email, and satellite TV.

When needs of the family prevented him from taking eighth grade exams and he would have had to repeat the grade entirely, he quit school and went to work at age 15. His first day on the job with the power company, he saw a man die by electrocution, but was not deterred and ultimately worked for power industry his entire working career. Due to his young age and because he was bringing power to rural America, he was not drafted for World War II, and when the Korean War started, he was married and again the draft skipped him. He regretted never serving but was very proud of his family members who served the nation’s military.

Willard was married six times, and raised four daughters, three with his first wife Genevieve Petit (now deceased) and one with his second wife Nancy Nelson (now deceased). Marriage and a desire to avoid working in the coal mines drove him westward, and he rarely returned home after settling in Washington state. He loved his family and strove to teach his children the importance of honesty, education, hard work, and being good to others.

A self-taught carpenter, he built several homes and barns over his lifetime, and over the years he raised cows, pigs, horses, dogs as well as growing vegetables. He was a bowling fan, a Freemason, a Shriner, and a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, though he had not participated in many years. He retired from Puget Sound Energy in 1990 after 37 years of service, and enjoyed gardening, building, RV travel, and family visits in his retirement age. He was kind to a fault, sometimes even to his own detriment, but we always knew he would be there for us if we needed him.

He is survived and grieved by his four daughters: Karen Wenger of Ocean Shores, Glenda Wright (John) of Maple Valley, Margaret Horn-Smith of Wenatchee, and Kattarina Simons (Matt) of Olympia. He will also be missed by his grandchildren: Vivette Horn, Ray Johnson, Eber Cantrell, Jeremie Wenger, William Wenger, James Wright, Nicholas Wright (deceased), Rachele Wright, Annaka Wright, Lauren Smith, Griffin Smith, and Ariana Simons. He also had many great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family request you send any donations in his memory to Reading Is Fundamental at rif.org or to your local food bank.