Wildon and Anna met at their mutual workplace in Indianapolis. Her job was in a bank in the front of the building and he worked for the Atlas Securities Company in the back. They were married in her parents' home in Indianapolis on September 18, 1924, and lived in Indianapolis for a while. His job took them to Toledo, Ohio, for a few years; then they moved to Kokomo, where they stayed the rest of their lives.
Their first baby, Wildon Jr., was stillborn in 1927. Ann went into shock at that time. They packed her with hot water bottles while they tried to save the baby, but he did not make it, and Ann was badly burned on her shoulders and arms. It was a very rough beginning for the young couple.
In 1931, Wildon took a leave of absence from his work, drew out all their savings, and bought tickets with the Student Travel Club to visit 12 European countries. He hoped it would cheer them up. It was a sudden decision, but their families pitched in to help with clothing and packing. The boarded the Athena, a small ship of the British Cunard Line, and headed down the St. Lawrence River into the North Atlantic. It took nine days to cross the North Atlantic before they came to Scotland. Then it was on to London, where they saw King George and Queen Mary riding in an open carriage, and many other sights. Continuing on to Holland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy, they were fortunate to have an audience with Pope John X. After Paris, they headed back to the U.S. on the Mauritania, a much larger ship than the one they went over on. They saw the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor through the fog and docked in New York on August 27, 1931. It was the trip of a lifetime, and they loved reminiscing about it and consulting the daily diary of their journey.
Their son Tom Amos Driver was born strong and healthy on June 15, 1934. He was to be their only child, but he grew and was a delight to them. He later married, had 4 children, and so far, 12 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild.
Wildon went to work for Lincoln Finance Company in Kokomo in 1939, and was Vice President when he retired in 1967. After renting different homes, they bought a house on Courtland Avenue. In 1957, they built a new home on State Road 26 west of the US 31 by-pass. They later bought a home across from their son and his family, where they lived until their deaths in 1996. Ann was a homemaker, very interested in oil painting and did many beautiful works, while Wildon was very active in the Main Street United Methodist Church and the Boy Scouts.
Wildon fractured his hip in May, 1996, and died from complications of pneumonia on July 3rd of that year. He had reached his goal of living to 95 years. Anna died on December 16th of that year at the age of 92. At one of the family holiday dinners, they had looked all around at the family, laughed and said, "Look what we started!"
Wildon A. Driver: June 7, 1902 - July 3, 1996
Ann (Boles) Driver: Jan. 17, 1904 - Dec. 16, 1996.
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