Wayford Washburn, Sr. Honored by Bank of Gleason on 100th Birthday

McKENZIE (July 21) — Wayford Otis Washburn, Sr. of McKenzie, was honored by the staff of the Bank of Gleason-McKenzie branch on Monday, July 21 on his 100th birthday.

He and wife, Elizabeth, were presented with a cake, punch, and a giant birthday card. Then Wayford sat in the front lobby and was greeted by bank customers as they entered the local bank. Wayford has been a customer of the bank for over 50 years.

He is one of the few World War II veterans remaining in Carroll County. His military service was in post-conflict (Yokahoma), Japan.

The centurion was born in Henderson County on July 21, 1925 to Vester and Ardell Dovie Ross Washburn. He was the second born of seven children — Fred, who died at age 99 in January 2023; Leo, who died at age 2 in July 1932; James Lloyd Washburn, who died at age 57 in February 1985; Arlene Washburn Davis, who is the lone surviving sibling; Billy Washburn, who died at age 85 in October 2020; and Helen Louise Washburn Moore, who died at age 87 in January 2025.

The family grew up as children of a sharecropper. They moved from Henderson County in 1938, first moving to a farm, where Lakeside Retirement Community Center now stands and prior to the construction of Carroll Lake, built in 1949-1950.

The family moved to Tennessee Street in McKenzie to the Bateman farm in 1947 and farmed the land around the now McKenzie Elementary School.

In 1947, the family moved and worked the farm of Eulas Pickler Farm, where the family milked cows and farmed the 147 acres in Henry County off Ben Smith Road (Cole Street) McKenzie. The family later purchased the farm using James Washburn’s GI Bill money.

Wayford O. Washburn, Sr., is a lifelong farmer, who owned farms on Como Road, McKenzie and Hinkledale Road in McKenzie. Still today, he manages his cattle on Hinkledale Road farm.

He is known to many former students at McKenzie Schools as their school bus driver, a job he performed each morning and afternoon for many years. His son, Wayford O. Washburn, Jr., was his substitute driver. Wayford, Sr. also served as an elected constable.

Wayford Sr. joined the Army on April 16, 1946, and served in Japan as part of the American Occupational Forces. He was assigned to a transportation unit and received a World War II Victory Medal upon his honorable discharge. He received an early discharge due to a family hardship after his dad was injured on the farm.

He and his younger brother, James Lloyd Washburn, both served in Japan at the same time. James was enlisted on June 7, 1946 in the Army/Air Force and served in Yamato, Japan. He was listed on his Honorable Discharge document as a light truck driver.