Marion County Remembers

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...

Remembering 1LT John Comuntzis (Fairmont) May 12, 1914 - September 7, 1944 ---- "A man more pure and bold and just, was never born on earth." -1932 Fairmont Senior High School Yearbook ---- 1LT John Nicholas Comuntzis (Service Number O-343115) was born in Fairmont, WV on May 12, 1914, the son of Nicholas and Cornelia (Tutulis) Comuntzis. Nicholas and Cornelia were Greek immigrants who settled in Marion County, Nicholas in 1891 and Cornelia around 1913 (" N.J. Comuntzis Dies Suddenly This Morning ," The West Virginian). Their family owned a confectionary store on Adams Street in Fairmont (see "The Comuntzis Confectionary" at bottom) beginning in 1904.  In 1919, the Comuntzis family's world was rocked when Nicholas Comuntzis died suddenly at 41 of meningitis. Cornelia was left to raise four-year-old John and three-year-old Pauline by herself. John graduated from Fairmont Senior High School in 1932, where he played football and was a member of the Kl?ub (...

Remembering MM2C Charles Finley "Chuck" Carpenter (Fairview) January 9, 1920 - August 10, 1943 ----- MM2C Charles Finley "Chuck" Carpenter (Service Number 2582756)   was born January 9, 1920 in Jacksonburg, WV (Wetzel County), the son of Finley A. Carpenter and Clara M. (Morris) Carpenter. At the time of Charles' birth, Finley was working as a public school janitor in Wetzel County (1920 Census). By 1930, their family had moved to Fairview, WV, and Finley was working as a clerk at a hardware store (1930 Census). In 1935, Finley was appointed the Postmaster of Fairview, and remained so until 1943, after which Charles' family moved to 406 9th Street in Fairmont. Finley remained at their 9th Street home until his death.  Charles graduated from Fairview High School in 1938. His senior yearbook states that he was a member of the Varsity Club, Science Club, Library Club, played basketball, was the secretary of the Future Farmers of America, and participated in the...

Remembering PFC James Israel Snyder (Rachel) October 18, 1912 - August 13, 1945 ---- PFC James Israel Snyder (Service Number 35376803) was born in Rachel, WV on October 18, 1912, the son of Aley and Mary (Johnson) Snyder. Aley. worked in the natural gas industry (1910-1940 Censuses) and their family lived in the Lincoln District in Marion County.  James attended Farmington High School, and by 1940 was employed at the Pittsburgh and West Virginia Gas Company in Burnsville, WV  (Draft Card). James was 5'8" and 155 lbs with blue eyes, brown hair, and ruddy skin. Military Service James enlisted in the Army on April 13, 1942, and was a member of the 978th Field Artillery Battalion, Battery A. According to the Fairmont Times, James had already been overseas for seventeen months at the time of his death, stationed in England, France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany ("James Snyder Dies While in Germany," The Fairmont Times). While serving in Germany, James became afflicted wit...

Remembering SSGT Wilbur Stevens Hall (Rachel) May 16, 1924 - July 21, 1944 ---- SSGT Wilbur Stevens Hall  was born May 16, 1924 in Coxs Mill, WV (Gilmer County), the son of Sam and Freda (Langford). In 1930, Sam was working as an oiler at a gas station, while their family lived at Leading Creek in Gilmer County (1930 Census). Between 1930 and 1935, they moved to Grantsville, Calhoun County (1940 Census). In Grantsville, Sam worked as a station operator for Hope Gas (1940 Census). In 1942, Wilbur, known as "Wib" to his siblings, graduated from Calhoun County High School. He was the class valedictiorian, participated in 4H, student government, was the captain of the football team, and was even the two time mayor of Grantsville (Wilbur's nephew Jim Hendershot, Findagrave). After graduation, Wilbur studied welding in Arthurdale, WV, a school founded by Eleanor Roosevelt. After spending some time working at Ice's Grocery Store in Rachel, WV (Jim Hendershot), he found work ...