Marion County Remembers

Remembering MSGT Robert G. Martin (Farmington) October 16, 1923 - November 30, 1944 ---- MSGT Robert G. Martin (Service Number 15019842) was born in Farmington, WV on October 16, 1923, the son of George and Mary (Joliff) Martin. George was a coal miner (1930-1950 Censuses), and their family lived on East Run in Farmington with George's widowed mother. Robert was the oldest of seven children- four boys, three girls. Robert attended Farmington High School, from which he graduated on June 5, 1941 (1945 Lincolneer Yearbook).  Military Service: On June 24, 1941, Robert, age 17, enlisted in the Army Air Corps at Fort Hayes in Columbus, Ohio. At the time, he was 5'9" and 154 lbs (Army Enlistment Record). Robert became a member of the 674th Bomber Squadron, 417th Bomber Group, Light. On November 30, 1944, Robert was an Engineer on board Douglas A-20G Havoc 43-22228, piloted by 1LT James E. Inglehart. Their plane took off from Pitoe Airstrip, with an intended destination of Halmah...

Remembering PFC Frank Fugera September 11, 1919 - November 8, 1942 ---- Note: Several sources refer to Frank as CPL Frank Fugera, but his Individual Deceased Personnel File and Burial Records list him as PFC Fugera. ---- PFC Frank Fugera (Service Number 13023728) was born September 11, 1919 in the Hawkinberry Hollow area of Rivesville, WV, the son of John and Elizabeth Fugera. John and Elizabeth had immigrated in the early 1900s from Austria, with their oldest daughter, Mary (John 1902, Elizabeth and Mary 1904; 1920 Census). John was a coal miner, later working as a machinist for the coal mine (1930 census). By 1930, their family had moved just across the border into Monongalia County, with a note in the 1940 census indicating that they'd lived in "Talbott" since at least 1935.  None of the twelve Fugera siblings graduated from high school, with the majority completing their education in 8th grade. By 1940, Frank was supporting his whole household (parents and three young...

Remembering PFC Francis Lee David (Mannington/Fairmont) November 11, 1922 - November 1, 1945 ---- PFC Francis Lee David (Service Number 15338315) was born in Mannington, WV, on November 11, 1922, the son of David and Ethel (Spencer) David. Their family lived on Maple Avenue in Fairmont (1930-1950 Censuses). Modi, who immigrated from Mt. Lebanon, Syria in 1904 (Naturalization Paperwork), had many jobs in the food and entertainment industries. In addition to other ventures, he served as a pool hall operator in Mannington (1920 Census), a merchant for a retail confectionary (1930 and 1950 Censuses), and the manager for a beer parlor (1940 census). Francis attended school through 6th grade before dropping out, and by 1940 (age 17) was working as a street laborer for the National Youth Administration. He would have attended Fairmont Senior High School with his siblings if he had continued his education. Francis registered for the draft on June 30, 1942, at age 19. At the time, he was residi...

Remembering WT1C Paul Wright (Spencer) January 29, 1922 - December 18, 1944 ---- WT1C Paul Wright  (Service Number 35382677) was born in Spencer, WV, on January 29, 1922, the son of Romeo "Romie" Wright and Eva (Parsons) Wright. Romie worked as a laborer (1920 Census) and carpenter (1930 Census) in Spencer. Their family consisted of siblings Ernest, Helen, Mabel, Charles, twins Paul and Pauline, and William. Another brother, Frederick, had died in 1918 at age 2. In 1931, tragedy struck the Wright family. Eva died April 14, 1931 of tuberculosis....soon followed by their daughters Helen (1932) and Mabel (1933), and Helen's husband, Wilbur Rose (1933). On August 27, 1933, Romie (42) married 24-year-old Evelyn Zinn. Just over six years later, Romie succumbed to blood poisoning after surgery (1938).  In that span-of-time, Paul attended one year of high school in Spencer (1938) before moving in with his aunt and uncle, Clay and Mae Wright. Clay farmed his own land in Ohio,...

Remembering SSGT Louis Josephius Tootsey (Fairmont) February 5, 1916 - October 10, 1945 ---- Note: While most military and census files list his name as Tootsey, in other places their family name is listed as Tuzi, including on his parents' gravestone. ---- SSGT Louis J. Tootsey (Service Number 15097583) was born February 5, 1916, the son of Italian immigrants Peo and Teresa (DeArcangelis). Tootsey/Tuzi. When Louis was born, their family lived in Fairmont, WV, near the neighborhood of Bellview. Peo worked as a laborer, in both the coal mine (1910, 1920, 1940 Censuses), and the glass factory (1930 Census). Louis was a 1934 graduate of West Fairmont High School (WV Memory Project). On July 3, 1936, Louis married Anna Ruth Wills in Paintsville, Kentucky. Military Service:  On October 16, 1940, Louis registered for the draft in Van Lear, Kentucky, where he lived with his wife Anna. He was employed by Consolidated Coal in Van Lear. Louis was 5'11" and 180 lbs with brown hair, ...

Remembering S2C Lawrence James Welch, Jr May 7, 1926 - December 12, 1944 ---- Note: He is listed in some places as "Lawrence Junior Welch." ---- S2C Lawrence James Welch, Jr. (Service Number 7561565) was born May 7, 1926, the son of Lawrence and Goldie (Shumaker) Welch. Lawrence was a coal miner, and their family lived in Kingmont, WV. Unfortunately, Lawrence was found dead of tuberculosis in 1928, just 7 short years after he and Goldie married (WV Death Certificate). This left Goldie with two young children to raise by herself- Katherine, 6, and "Junior," 2. By 1930, Goldie and her kids had moved in with her parents, Wesley and Margaret (Kramer) Shumaker (1930 Census). Her father worked at the coal mine. They remained with her parents while her kids grew up. On November 22, 1943, Goldie married widower James Lee Yoho, when Lawrence was 17 and Katherine was 21. S2C Lawrence James Welch, Jr attended East Fairmont High School, though he enlisted in the military before...