As a descendent of General Robert E. Lee and his slave Phoebe, Henry Lee was born November 13, 1923 in Buffalo, New York, to the union of James Lyle Lee Jr. and Bessie Lee and was the eldest of 14 siblings. His family moved to Cleveland, Ohio when Henry was 3 months old.

Henry grew up in the Central Neighborhood and attended Cleveland Public School System and the Outhwaite Vocational School. The Lee family was active members of the old St. John AME Church at 40^th and Central when Henry accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and ministered in song with the St. John Gospel Choir.

In 1942, Henry secured employment with the City of Cleveland’s Shade Tree Division. He was the first African-American employed by the Shade Tree Division.

A year later Henry Milton Lee was inducted into the United States Army on February 23, 1943. He was a Telephone Switchboard Operator with the rank of Corporal and a special technical skill level of Grade 5. His unit was the 411^th Port Company 534^th Transportation Corporation Battalion. His total length of service was 2 years, 10 months, and 10 days. Continental Service was 1 year, 0 months, and 6 days. Foreign Service was 1 year, 0 months, and 4 days. Corporal Lee served in two Campaigns during World War II (1941-1945): Rome-Arno and Southern France. Both of these Campaigns were commanded by Lieutenant General George Smith Patton. During his time at war Corporal Lee received The Good Conduct Medal, The American Theater Service Medal, The Victory Medal, and European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Stars. He also received the Lapel button for having good behavior and serving Honorably. Corporal Lee was Honorably Discharged from Indiantown Gap Military Reservation in Pennsylvania from Unit B Separation Center #45 on January 5, 1946.

Upon his Honorable Discharge in 1946, he resumed his employment with the City of Cleveland’s Shade Tree Division for the next 28 years and then transferred after a brief layoff (and employment with the Light Company) to the City of Cleveland’s Division of Water. His Tenure of 16 years with the Division of Water ended when he retired in 1988. His faithful service to the City of Cleveland matured after 46 years.

 Henry will always remember his honorable moments of employment with the City of Cleveland when he was selected to participate in the placement of the Monumental Stone in the Potter’s Field (a place of burial for the unknown and forgotten) located off Green Road. He takes great pride in the memory of this event.

Henry married Edna Robinson in his early twenties. She preceded him in death after a few years of marriage. There were no children born to this union.

As a frequent rider of the street car system in 1953 he met and often rode with a young woman whom he fell in love with at “first glance” and his children quote him saying “I remember when I first met your mother, I said to myself, Lee you are going to marry that big leg woman.”

Henry lived at 2334 East 38^th Street at that time and the apple of his eye (Josephine Williams) lived at 2362 East 37^th Street in Cleveland, Ohio. They met daily on their way to work at East 55^th Street and Central Avenue to board the street car.

On May 29, 1954, Henry married Josephine Williams. There were five children as a result of this union: Hattie Chestnut (Jim) in Humble, Texas, William Ellis in Cleveland, Ohio, Marchelle Wilson in Conroe, Texas, Vanessa O’Sullivan (Neville) in Cleveland, Ohio, and Isaac Lee (Deltreasa) in Cleveland, Ohio. He is the grandfather of 26, great grandfather of 42, and a great-great grandfather of 10.