Harry F. Wilson; Glouco newsman loved the West

When the children on his block would get together to play baseball, Harry F. Wilson stayed home to ride his beloved pony, Queenie.

So family and friends weren't that surprised when the adult Wilson quit his job as owner and editor of the Woodbury Daily Times, which his grandfather had founded decades earlier, to chase his Wild West dreams.

Mr. Wilson opened a saddle shop in Ewan, catering to South Jersey's horse farms. Then, 20 years later, he sold his Woodbury home, and he and his wife traveled the country in a recreational vehicle.

The adventurous former newsman, 86, died of lung cancer Wednesday, Aug. 4, at his home in Meyersdale, Pa., two weeks after the death of his wife of 60 years, Marie.

Mr. Wilson grew up delivering papers while his father edited the Times, now the Gloucester County Times. He met his future wife, Marie Wagner, delivering papers to the pharmacy where she worked.

After graduating from Woodbury High School in 1941, Mr. Wilson studied business at Peirce College in Philadelphia.

He was sent off to serve in World War II as a first sergeant in the Army Corps of Engineers, building bridges overseas.

After the war, Mr. Wilson went to work as a newspaper ad salesman and sometimes filled in as a reporter, his son Jim said. In 1947, he took over as editor, and, after his father died in 1951, he inherited ownership of the paper.

It was a tiring job, having to go in at 5 a.m. to set up the Linotype and often staying late into the night, his son said.

"He didn't like the newspaper business. You have to be cut out for it," said Mr. Wilson's longtime friend Eugene Horan Jr., a reporter for seven years at the Camden Courier-Post.

In October 1963, Mr. Wilson quit as editor. Despite his urge to settle on a Wyoming ranch, he pleased his family by staying in Woodbury and opening Circle W Saddle Shop two months later. He left the newspaper in the family, but it was later sold.

"I was never able to go West like I dreamed, so now I've got my West right here in New Jersey," Mr. Wilson said in 1964.

At that time, South Jersey had hundreds of horse farms, so his business thrived for several years. In 1970, he sold the business to a local shoe repairman and then spent two years traveling the country with his wife in an RV.

For the next 12 years, he had jobs with the Farmers National Bank in Mullica Hill, Ott Real Estate Agency, a sporting goods store, and a card and gift shop.

In 1984, Harry and Marie Wilson sold their home and retired to their RV.

The couple, who had already covered all 48 contiguous states with their children during their school breaks, drove up to Alaska and then came back down to volunteer for the National Park Service in Virginia and Maryland, their family said. They collected tolls, cleaned up litter, and did odd jobs.

By 1997 they were ready to slow down, so they moved to Somerset County to be close to their daughter.

In addition to his wife and son, Mr. Wilson is survived by daughter Betty Ann Polenski; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

A memorial service is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28, at M. Ray Leckemby Funeral Home, 203 North St., Meyersdale.