William Wilson, the pioneer ancestor of this family, emigrated from Stewardstown, County of Tyrone, Ireland, in 1732, when 19 years of age. The Town of Stewardstown is in the parish of Donagheny in the province of Ulster and eighty-two miles northwest of Dublin, long noted for its very superior linen cloth.
Roy L. Fruit, born February 20, 1888, in Wapella, Illinois, is a notable figure in the newspaper industry, serving as publisher and proprietor of the Sedan Times-Star, a prominent Republican journal. With nearly a decade in journalism, he played a key role in the paper’s evolution through numerous consolidations of local publications. Fruit, who holds strong Republican values, has upgraded the Times-Star’s equipment and is active in editorial associations. He married Yolande Dobson in 1913, and they have one daughter, Jeannette.