We had a Byal Chapel that belonged in the Presbyterian Church and there is a Byal Avenue in town, and there is a Byal section of the town that is called A.B. Byal.

My grandparents go way back in Hancock County history. Some of them were – they were mostly farmers and I know at one time John Byal had over 1,000 acres North West of Findlay. Campbell Byal was John Byal’s son and was the caretaker at the County Home for several years. My grandfather was John Byal and he was Campbell Byal’s son.

Apparently Campbell Byal hired Francis Cornwell who was another family that were big families in Hancock County, and that’s where he met my grandmother Francis Cornwell. They were married and then they lived out around McComb for many years. He was a farmer. When he moved into town they bought the Byal Garage and they lived across the street. There was a lot of history up until World War I when my dad and his brother with the garage went into in the Army.

My dad had what was called a Jitney Bus and he drove to Findlay every day from McComb to Findlay and took passengers and ran it back at night. That was part of the garage. When World War II started they still had the Ford Agency but it kind of fizzled out because cars were rationed.

I bought a Ford Coupe as I started to work in McComb as a nurse and I had to have that Ford to take me to work and eventually that became a part of our married life.

In 1918, I was born and my father was drafted into the Army as a Private.
When he came home he and his brother Lester Byal started Byal Garage in McComb. They had the Ford agency. I have a sister Marcella Byal Shoemaker.  My brother, Doyle Crumrine Byal, was shot down over the Sea of Japan in World War II.