William Leslie Creech and Pauline Barbour Creech built a life together rooted in North Carolina, marked by family, farming, and William's distinctive career. Their partnership, beginning with an elopement, saw them raise a family and contribute to their community.
Early Life and Childhood Mischief
William Leslie Creech was born on September 29, 1913, in Johnston County, North Carolina. He was the oldest child of Manley and Lillian Stancil Creech. Leslie grew up alongside his four siblings: Creola Beatrice Creech, Joseph Worth Creech, Joseph Manley Creech Jr., and Paul Douglas Creech.
As a boy, Leslie had fair skin, blue eyes, and noticeable freckles, which he reportedly disliked intensely due to teasing.
In one memorable childhood incident, his father, Manley, jokingly suggested that fresh cow manure would get rid of the freckles. Young Leslie, taking the advice literally, smeared the foul-smelling manure all over his face. When his father saw him, he threatened to whip him, but his mother, Lillian, intervened, asserting that Manley was the cause of the prank.
Leslie was described as being about 5'8" tall and weighing around 160 pounds as an adult.
Marriage and Starting a Family
In December 1932, Leslie married Pauline Barbour in Dillon, South Carolina. Dillon was a popular spot for quick elopements, and they were accompanied by Leslie's sister, Creola (who was called Chris by her brothers), and her boyfriend, Joseph Earl Capps.
Leslie and Pauline began their family relatively quickly. Their first child, Kenneth Ray Creech, was born on November 30, 1933. They later welcomed Keith Gray Creech on May 21, 1936, William "Billy Joe" Joseph Creech on August 26, 1941, and Linda Gail Creech on August 3, 1945, completing their family of four children.
Farming, War Years, and Career
Leslie's father passed away in 1934, and Leslie continued the family's tradition of farming. When World War II began, Leslie did not enlist or get drafted; he remained home to farm, while he watched his brothers go off to war.
After the war, Leslie transitioned from farming to painting. He worked as a painter in the Norfolk shipyard and later at Camp Buckner near Durham and on Army barracks at Fort Bragg.
In the 1950 census, he reported that he was driving a taxi while living in Oak Grove Township. Pauline was a stamper in a hosiery mill.
However, Leslie's most significant and enduring career was as a tobacco auctioneer, a profession he dedicated 36 years to. In 1971, for instance, he was working in Kinston, North Carolina, demonstrating the travel and demand associated with his work.
Later Years and Legacy
William Leslie Creech experienced a long illness before his passing at the age of 68 on October 25, 1981, at Durham General Hospital in Durham, North Carolina. He was a longtime member of the Calvary Baptist Church. Leslie was laid to rest in Oak Grove Memorial Gardens in Durham.
Pauline Barbour Creech passed away on February 2, 1988, in Durham, North Carolina. She is buried beside her husband, Leslie, in Oak Grove Memorial Gardens, Durham County, North Carolina.
Leslie and Pauline's life together, centered on family and community, contributed to the fabric of North Carolina's rural and working life.
— Renn Stancil Hinton, daughter of George Ralph Stancil
