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Wilcox, O.

Ormonde Wilcox U.S. Army WWII
Ormonde Wilcox U.S. Army WWII


 
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Date of Birth: 3/1/1914
Died On: 10/22/1994 Last Residence: 24599, Wingina, Nelson, Virginia
Street Address: unknown
Service Number: 12059752
Branch of Service: U.S. Army-WWII


Veteran Code: USARMY-687


BIOGRAPHY Extended Information
 
Ormonde Wilcox


Ormonde Butler Matier Wilcox was born on March 1, 1914, in New Bedford, Massachusetts, to Maria Lambert Burrows Matier, age 31, and Miner Washburn Wilcox, age 39. In Rye his families address remains unknown but they were members of Christ's Church.

Before the war, Ormonde was employed by Standard Brands in Peekskill, NY. He enlisted and served in U.S. Army during World War II.

He married Barbara Dallas Cabell on May 31, 1947, in Danbury, Connecticut. They had one child during their marriage.

The couple moved to New jersey where Ormonde worked as a financial estate manager. In 1972 they moved to Virginia and purchased "Bon Aire" in Nelson County VA.

Bon Aire is a historic home located near Shipman, Nelson County, Virginia. It is a Federal-style brick dwelling dramatically sited on a hill overlooking the James River. It was built about 1812.

From the sloping elevated front lawn at Bon Aire it appears you can see forever across the lush pasture bottom lands that extend to the meandering James River and then rise to another range of mountains.

In the front a tethered goat bleats protests against having its movements restricted.

"His name is Eurpides" said Ormonde BM Wilcox who bought the home and its 400 acres in 1972 and moved in a year later. "Know Why" he asked pointing to several flower beds and shurbbery. "Because if we let him go he rippa-deez and rippa-doze.

Basically the Wilcoxes raise livestock at Bon Aire "though we do have some corn and some soybean" he said. Walking around the grounds he and his wife Barbara Cabell Wilcox provided a concise history of the home built around 1812 by George Cabell Jr after the design of his home Point of Honor in Lynchburg.

Its distinctive Palladian de sign usually with a narrow two-story center and low one-story wings was one of the favorites of William Morris who inspired a number of Thomas Jefferson's concepts.

In fact Jefferson who is largely given credit for popularizing the design in this region adapted it in the design of the first form of Monticello.

Mrs Wilcox is the first of the Cabell line to own and live in the home since it was sold in 1826 making their purchase somewhat of a long-awaited homecoming. "While we were looking at the property we knew that Cabells had owned it but then I saw that his (George and my birthday were the same" she said, "It was really such a neat feeling and it clinched the sale"

"I told my husband we would have to buy it because it was meant to be"

When he told the Nelson County Board of Supervisors real earlier this month why he was honored and pleased that Bon Aire was being nominated as a landmark Wilcox said that "In generations to come people will be interested in seeing what was built how and why We may be the present owners of the homes but we see ourselves more as caretakers of the property for future generations.

"We feel very strongly about saving them because once they're gone .. well, pictures are nice, but they can't replace the real thing"


Ormonde Butler Matier Wilcox died on October 22, 1994, in Wingina, Virginia, at the age of 80.
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