MAY WILLIAM HOWARD born: 02/10/1873 M CALIFORNIA mother: deleted in compliance with CA law father; MAY died: KERN 06/07/1949 age: 76 yrs requested by: [email protected] The Bakersfield Californian, Wednesday, June 8, 1949 pg. 14 William May, "Mr. Bakersfield," Succumbs Here at Age of 76 "Mr. Bakersfield" - William Howard May, 76 - died Tuesday afternoon in Kern General Hospital. Mr. May, who was born in Kern County at Panama, February 10, 1783, was selected as Mr. Bakersfield by the Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce in 1947 in connection with the celebration of the city's seventy-fifth anniversary in 1948. He was born three months before the city was incorporated. In 1899 he was a driller on the discovery Well, one of the county's first oil wells. In 1903 he drove a stage coach from Delonaga to Bakersfield. Funeral services will be conducted Thursday at 11 a.m. in Payne and Son Chapel. Mrs. Beulah Hudson will officiate for the Christian Science services. Pallbearers will be W.H. Clendenen, Font Webster, Delbert Webster, Hod Freeat, M. A. Salls and Bert Green. Interment will be in Greenlawn. Mr. May lived at 1220 Oregon Street. After retiring as an oil driller, he was a groceryman. He is survived by his daughter, Mrs. Clara Lamb, 1220 Oregon Street; his son, William H. May, Zapals, Argentina; his sister, Mrs. Cora Bowen, Maricopa; two granddaughters, Mrs. Jerry E. Herndon, 420 Beech Street, and Mrs. Lee Tillery, 1220 Oregon Street; a grandson, Bill May, 1721 Flower Street, and three great-grandchildren. Sharon Kern Co. Volunteer