Milton Hilborn Willson was born March 17, 1894, in Griggs County, the son of Howard Atwood and Mary Hilborn Willson - the oldest of ten children. He was baptized and confirmed in the Methodist Church of Leal, North Dakota.
The family moved to a farm near Leal in 1903. He attended grade school at Leal and graduated from the Wimbledon High School. He attended the North Dakota Agricultural College in Fargo, where he played Baritone in the College Band and was also a member of the baseball team.
On June 28, 1916, he married Bernice M. Widdifield, the oldest daughter of Franklin L. and Alice Bascom Widdifield. They farmed there until 1936, when the family moved to Getchell Prairie Township where they continued to farm. A few years later, they moved to Valley City, where he worked for Northwest Nursery and later in the bulk oil business until his retirement in 1962.
He was an active member of the Methodist Church at Leal, and later, in the Getchell Prairie Congregational Church. He later joined the Congregational Church of Valley City when the family moved to that vicinity. He was an active community worker in the Leal and Uxbridge Consolidated School areas. He was a School Board Member at Uxbridge for many years; and also held offices on the Township Board. He was always interested in Athletics of all kinds; continuing to play on neighboring teams (both baseball and basketball) for many years after he started farming. He also played in bands in the surrounding area for many years.
After a number of years of failing health, he died July 17, 1969, leaving his wife and six sons: Douglas M., High School Counselor at Fergus Falls, Minnesota; Stanley W., Attorney in Minneapolis; Harland E., Yarncraft and similar merchandise representative and retail sales; Marshall K., wholesale paints and varnishes; Richard H., with Carpenter Lumber Company of Valley City; Philip E., Junior High Math-Science at Concord, California.
He is also survived by seven brothers: Clifford H., of Chevy Chase, Maryland; Fred S., of Oceanside, California; Gordon of Baraboo, Wisconsin; Burwell of Leal, North Dakota; Irwin of San Luis Obispo, California; Bruce of Langdon, North Dakota; and Merrill of Leal, North Dakota. Also two sisters: Mrs. Robert (Edith) Van Devender of Eugene, Oregon; and Mrs. Merrill (Vivian) Burke of Sun City, Arizona. Also surviving him are sixteen grandchildren and seven great-grand-children.
Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 270