Our cousin, an honorable man, child of our grandfather Clifford Martin's eldest sister, Myra Lou, Jay Dee's father was robbed and murdered in Kansas City while delivering laundry for his eldest uncle. He served in the army in the South Pacific until he fell ill of an amoebic infection and was medically discharged from Harmon General Hospital in Longview (became Letourneau University), met and married Bonnie Bill Hopkins and cared for her through a long illness until she died. Late in life, he married his dancing partner, Alicia "Mimi" (Cantrell) Dillon, who predeceased him in February of this year, and finally enjoyed having a family. Jay Dee worked most of his adult life in the forging industry, beginning with Lebus Manufacturing. It is a good life when you have out lived almost everyone who knew you, but I remember Jay Dee picking me up so I could touch the ceiling at 313 South Green (no longer there) while my own Dad was still in the Pacific. God bless the Cantrells for all their kindnesses to him!
Wiliam C. Martin, III