Henry Joseph “Toby” Hequet

Biography

Henry Joseph Hequet, known as Toby, was born in Illinois on January 5, 1918, according to the family chronology. His parents were Jules Hequet and Leontine Vertefoix, whose family had settled in Illinois. He was sixteen when his father died in 1934 and seventeen when his mother died the following year.

Toby and Lorraine Madeline Nourie were the parents of Michael Henry and Sandra Kay. Michael was born in Kankakee, Illinois, in 1938. Later family testimony describes estrangement within this branch of the family, but does not establish a single explanation for it.

An entry in a 1964 Palm Springs directory identifies Toby as a city employee in that southern California desert community. Jettie G. Hequet, listed as a school-district cafeteria cashier, appears at the same address.

The chronology places his death in 1976; conflicting memorial details have not been resolved. His Illinois family chronology and the California directory give two distinct settings for his adult life.

The family chronology places his death in January 1976 and associates his burial, provisionally, with Desert Memorial Park at Cathedral City. The family reconstruction identifies Jettie as his probable later wife or partner.