Fields, William "Bill"

William “Bill” Fields
April 14, 1926 – August 11, 2009
Married to Mary Rachel Peele Fields October 28, 1950

Bill Fields was born in 1926 in Johnston County to Dock and Amy Fields and was one of ten children. In 1937, at the age of 11, Bill and his siblings lost both their parents within a six month period. Bill’s older brother Archie, along with his wife, took five of the siblings to raise. They lived in Wayne County, in the Saulston area, and worked a family farm. Bill also helped out other local farmers whenever he could, to make a little extra money.

Bill married Mary Rachel Peele in 1950 and continued to farm, taking great pride in his tobacco crop. Bill and his family moved to the Nahunta area in 1962 where he continued to farm until he retired in 1987 at the age of 61. Bill then worked at the Victory Tobacco Warehouse, in Goldsboro, until 2000 and was known for his fair and accurate grading of tobacco.

Bill and Rachel also have three children: Randy Fields and wife Kathie Fields, Suzanne Pope and husband Greg Pope, Randall Fields and wife Leah Fields, Ryan Fields, Forrest Pope, and Rachel Jackson. They also had one great granddaughter, Abigail Fields.

Bill loved life and people to the fullest and never minded hard work. Whether he was in his own field or helping others, in an effort to make a little extra money to provide for his family, Bill gave his all in everything he did until he died in August, 2009 at the age of 83.