William Hathaway Gear, was born 16 Sep 1876
, in Chanute, Neosho Co., Kansas. He was the son of
John Clay Gear and Mary Jane Hathaway.
John and Mary moved to Jo Daviess, Illinois by the time William turns age six. William falls from recorded evidence until his Great Aunt Sophia [Gear] Farrar names William, at age 9, as an heir in her will. Sophia died in 1883 in Galena, Jo Daviess, Illinois. She lived in the Galena Stockade with her husband Amos Farrar, a fur trader.
By the 1900 census, William Hathaway Gear, his sister Myrtha, and brother Clayton are found living with their Grandparents (Samuel West Hathaway & Sophronia J. Taylor) in Guilford, Jo Daviess, Illinois. William is 25 years old at this time.
William Hathaway Gear met Marian Adell Cobley in Illinois, they were married in Kendall County, Illinois and had their first two children (Helen Adell & Bruce Allen) before moving to North Dakota.
Both Helen Adell Gear (1903) and Bruce Allen
Gear (29 Apr 1904) are born in Illinois. A third child, Lydia
Marion Gear, was born 19 Aug 1905 in North Dakota. It is unknown
at this time why the family relocated to this area. However, evidence
shows the family moved from North Dakota to Helper, Carbon, Utah, where
Lydia died 
at age 4yr, 2mo, 11d of heart complications from typhoid
fever.
Early 1908, William has another daughter with Marian Adell named Laura Iris Gear. Laura is born 03 Feb 1908, in Helper, Carbon, Utah. In the 1910 census, William H Gear listed himself as a clerk in the Railroad Office at age 27. His wife, Adell - age 26. Helen - age 7, Bruce - age 6, and Laura age 2. Laura Iris was quickly followed by two addiditonal younger sisters named Viola Rae Gear in October 1911, and Lillian Blanche Gear on 08 Dec 1912. Both of these girls were also born in Helper, Carbon, Utah. William and Marian Adell have a total of six children together -- five girls and one son.
By 1916 however, William's world seems to crumble. The
Davis County Clipper Newspaper 1916-09-15 (page 5) reports William
files bankruptcy 
, and his family falls apart.
By June 1917 Marion Adell had left William and married a man by the name of Hubbard Henderson. Hubbard lists Marion and three girls as dependents in WWI Draft registration (see WWI draft registration form dated 1917). They are found in Butte, Silver Bow, Montana in the 1920 census.
Not much is known of William from 1916 until 1920 when he appears again in the records living with Olive Barlow Blood and her husband in Bountiful, Utah at age 45. Olive is Hannah Lavon Barlow's younger sister. Hannah Lavon Barlow (age 21), William's future wife, is living nearby with her parents Ianthus Haven Barlow, Jr. & Alice Willey.
By 1921, Hannah Lavon Barlow and William Hathaway
Gear leave Bountiful, Utah and marry in Moline, Rock Island,
Illinois on 08 Apr 1921. On 07 Jan 1921, the couples first child Donald
Barlow Gear was born Cedar Rapids, Linn Co., Iowa. William
was age 46 and his young bride. Hannah Lavon age 23 as
they started their young family together.
William was listed in the Cedar Rapids city directory
in Iowa 1922 at age 47. Mary Alice, William's
second child with Hannah Lavon was born in Manchester,
Deleware, Iowa on 09 Nov 1922. The Iowa State Census, 1836-1925 > 1925
> Linn > Coggon p35/54 Iowa shows both William
& Hannah Lavon + two their 2 children, Donald
Barlow Gear and Mary Alice Gear.
Something changes in their life together in early 1925, and Hannah Lavon leaves Willliam while pregnant with their third child -- Haven Barlow Gear. Hannah moves back to Bountiful, Davis, Utah and ultimately lives with her Aunt and Uncle on their farm in Pingree, Idaho. This is where Haven Barlow Gear is born.
Haven Barlow Gear's birth certificate (20 Sep 1925) names William Hathaway Gear as his father (at age 40) and is listed as a farmer (occupation), born in Iowa.
After completing a census search, William was not in listed in Manchester Iowa in 1930. William would have been approximately 50 years old. There are no firm records found to trace William after Hannah Lavon left. No confirming death records, or Social Security record, burial or cemetary information has been found at this time.
However, Mary Alice, his daughter has a memory that
he was a "traveling salesman" and was passing through
Pingree, Idaho when she was a very young girl. This is the last information
known for William Hathaway Gear after 1925.