It's always interesting to find out something more about John Bellairs. Thirty years ago today, his father, Frank, died.
For years, many readers may have remembered reading his autobiographical sketch in Fifth Book of Junior Authors (1983) where he noted how "all four of [his] children's books are autobiographical." Those books include various childhood details, including his dad's saloon. Based on this sketch, when Bellairs writes about Anthony Monday growing up with his father working in a saloon - or cigar store - we know Bellairs writes from experience.
It's always interestign to find out something more about Frank Bellairs, too. From his obituary he was more than a cigar store owner. We like to think Anthony's father, Howard, may have been a sheriff's deputy in another life, too.
Battle Creek Enquirer
Battle Creek, Michigan
Saturday, Nov. 12 1983 (p. 6)
Frank E. Bellairs, 87, of 802 E. Green St., a World War I veteran and former cigar-store owner, died Friday in Battle Creek's Leila Hospital shortly after being admitted. He had been ill several months.
He was born in Marshall and was a lifelong area resident. He retired in 1956 after operating the Elk Cigar Store on Michigan Avenue for 16 years.
Bellairs attended Argubright Business College in 1913 before he went to work as a piece-work inspector for the old Michigan Central Railroad. From 1914 to 1916 he was an accountant for Post Cereals Co. Bellairs enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1917. He served in combat in France and Germany with the 6th Machine Gun Battalion. He was transferred in 1918 to the Marine Intelligence Command and discharged in 1919.
When he returned after the war to Marshall, Bellairs became assistant sales manager of the Marshall Furnace Co., a job he held until 1932. He also worked at times for the Michigan Highway Department and Wilcox-Rich Co., the forerunner of the Eaton Corp. He was a Calhoun County sheriff's deputy in 1937-38.
Bellairs was an honorary member of the Claude E. Hale VFW Post 4073, a member of St. Mary Catholic Church and a former member of Stanley E. Lamb American Legion Post in Marshall.
His wife, the former Virginia C. Monk, died in 1967.
Bellairs is survived by a daughter, Suzanne Bellairs of Marshall; sons, Frank V. of Marshall and John of Haverhill, Mass.; one grandchild, and a sister, Mrs. Mable Woods of Marshall.
Services will be 10 a.m. Monday at St. Mary Catholic Church. Arrangements are by the Craig K. Kempf Funeral Home.
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