William Petty, Board Member

It is with great sadness that the Friends share the passing of William Petty, long time Friends of the Yolo County Archives board member and Yolo County resident. Bill's family came to the Capay Valley town of Guinda in 1942 but moved to Woodland to find work after having served in the Army during World War II. As African Americans, Bill and his wife Marie found few promising jobs and faced housing discrimination when trying to purchase a home. These experiences compelled Bill to champion the cause of social justice for minorities and women in Yolo and Sacramento counties. Throughout his life Bill was eager to share our local history and he played a key role in Guinda's annual Black History Day and Multicultural Day Celebrations. Bill was 92 years old and will be greatly missed. A longer tribute to Bill's life and accomplishments will be forthcoming in the Friends' Ledger newsletter. (To learn more about Bill's contributions to our county, please consult Elizabeth Monroe's The History and Stories of the Capay Valley.)

For more about Bill Petty, read Ted Smith's article in The Archive Ledger--Fall, 2007 and visit our Facebook post.