Wilk Hyer, left, and his cousin RB (Roscoe) Leavitt after a turkey hunting outing on Dec. 4, 1926. Roscoe went West in 1900 and asked Wilk to join him. Wilk did and became established with JC Penney in Walla Walla, Washington. Wilk had worked at the Leavitt’s General Mercantile Store in Houston from 1890 to 1900 as a clerk under the supervision of Roscoe’s father AE (Albert) Leavitt, a stern task-master. Albert’s wife, Elizabeth Hyer, was Wilk’s cousin from Lake Spring. Wilk became the primary shoe buyer and vice president of the JC Penney company. In the 1940’s Wilk was instrumental in bringing the International Shoe Factory to Houston. Credit: HOUSTON HERALD ARCHIVES (APRIL 26, 1951)

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