Alford, William Robert Sr.

93 08/30/1916 08/29/2010 William "Bill" Robert Alford Sr., the 
son of Alva Clark Alford and Lurena Brace Alford, was born Aug. 
30, 1916, in Buxton. William passed away Aug. 29, 2010, one 
day before his 94th birthday. In 1943 he married Norma 
Wilhelm; she preceded him in death in 2004. He is survived by 
his sons, Ramon Alford and his wife, Karen; William Alford Jr.; 
Larry Alford and his wife, Vickie; and Raymond Alford and his 
wife, Ellen; daughters, Janet Alford; Carol Alford; and MaryEllen 
Thomason and her husband, Chuck; 17 grandchildren; 
numerous great-grandchildren; and loving caregivers, William 
Bentley and Rosemary Borene. William served his country in the 
U.S. Coast Guard on the USS Carson City, which escorted Gen. 
Douglas MacArthur to the Philippines and New Guinea. William 
was employed by Georgia-Pacific for 26 years in Coquille, 
retiring in 1978 as a machinist, welder, and mechanic. In 1992 
he settled in New Meadows, Idaho. From 1987 through 1989 
William made a violin, it was a slow process. It was made from 
five different woods from trees grown in Oregon. He loved 
working with wood and turning things out on his metal lathe. A 
graveside service with military honors will be at 1 p.m. 
Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010, in Willamette National Cemetery, 
Portland. Services are entrusted to Wilhelm's Portland Memorial 
Funeral Home, 503-236-4141.

Published in The Oregonian on September 1, 2010