Marion County Remembers

Remembering ENS James Show Maddox (Fairmont) December 12, 1912 - January 17, 1943 ---- Author's Note: In 2015, I discovered articles in the Marion County Public Library archives about James Maddox's mother christening the Victory Ship Fairmont. I was both fascinated and heartbroken by his story. All these years later, it's an honor to write about his life. ---- ENS James Show Maddox (Service Number 0-135297 )  was born in Fairmont, WV on December 12, 1912, the only son of Orville and May (Show) Maddox. Orville worked as an auditor for the train company (1910 Census) before moving to a position with one of the local coal companies (1920, 1930 Censuses). May was a school teacher. For most of James' life, their family lived at 509 Pittsburgh Avenue, near what, at the time, was East Fairmont High School. Education: James attended East Fairmont High School, graduating in 1931. He was senior class secretary, vice-president of Senior Hi-Y, and a member of the Drama Club, Senio...

From the 1946 Orion: "In grateful recognition of the valiant services of our returning veterans we dedicate to them this volume- the 1946 Orion. We would not forget to especially remember those who sacrificed most. In the honor to their memory we record here the names of those who gave their lives to allow us one more chance to preserve our American ideals for which so many of our forefathers have striven." Charles Adams: 1938 Ralph Bartholow Ray Boyers Howard Brown : 1930 Leonard "Leo" Brown : 1941 Fred Cannon: 1934 (also attended FSU) James Cervo Melvin Conner Frank Cosco Delmas C. Curry Robert Davis: 1931 (also attended FSU) Howard Dodd : 1941 Forrest F. Estel Samuel Fox, II Ralph Friscenda Glenn Nichols William Von Harris James H. Hayhurst Carl C. Heflin Tom Knox: 1941 William Layman : 1941 James Maddox : 1931 (also attended FSU and WVU) Payson McCray : 1930 J ohn McKinney, III : 1933 (also attended FSU) Theodore M. Mowery Harvey "Harry" Myers Clyde Wa...

Remembering 1LT William Humphrey "Billy" Goetz March 20, 1920 - January 3, 1943 ---- 1LT William Humphrey Goetz (Service Numbers  15069109,  O-435765) was born in Frostburg, Maryland on March 20, 1920, the son of J. Edwin and Aleda (Sluss) Goetz. At the time of William's birth, J. Edwin was a weighmaster at the coal mine in Frostburg (1920 Census). For a time, their family lived with Aleda's parents at 123 Beechurst Avenue in Morgantown, WV, while 35-year-old J. Edwin worked as a payroll clerk for the coal company (1930 Census). From 1933-1939, their family lived in Fairmont, WV at 302 5th Street (1933, 1935, 1938, 1939 City Directories). "Billy" graduated from Fairmont Senior High School in 1938. During his time at FSHS, he was a member of the football team, lettermen's club, National Thespians, and Latin Club. He was also in the plays "House of Seven Gables" and "Murdered Alive." Also in the class of 1938 were fellow fallen service ...

Fairmont State University's Fallen Servicemembers  * Denotes Marion County Resident From the Jaynes Hall Plaque (1948 Yearbook): Note: This is not necessarily a complete list of all fallen Falcons Frank Alessio* Lawrence Richard Berry* John K. Boyles Wilbert Burns Fred B. Cannon Barton Core Angelo Crescenzi* Robert G. Davis John Dragoo* 1LT Frank Kinsey Evans * John L. Ford* William Goetz* Ray Goode Donald Haggerty* Harold Hicks William Howells Hale D. Hyer Glenn E. Kern* James Maddox* Edward McCray John McKinney* Virgil Nataly* Warren Owens Oral Postlethwait Richard Shurtleff* Dwight Skaggs James Smith Grafton Stidger* Victor Stiles* William Watson* Harry F. Wells James Houston James S. Sweeney Tau Beta Iota Members: Lawrence Richard Berry* 1LT Frank Kinsey Evans * William Bebb Howells Glenn Elbert Kern* SSGT Kenneth Lawrence Morgan * James Shirley Sweeney William LaVelle Watson, Jr.* Henry Alfred Weber, Jr.

Remembering SGT Bernard Emery Toothman (Fairview) May 9, 1916 - December 14, 1944 ---- SGT Bernard Emery Toothman (Service number 15015784) was born in Fairview, WV on May 9, 1916, the son of Sterling and Augusta (Fletcher) Toothman. For a time, their small family lived in Akron, Ohio, where Sterling was a rubberworker at a factory (1920 Census). On August 18, 1925, Sterling, now a gas worker died at Cooks Hospital in Fairmont, WV at age 31. His cause of death was peritonitis and a perforated ulcer (WV Death Certificate). Augusta was left to raise Bernard and his younger brother, Elmer, by herself in Fairview. In 1935, she married A.V. Owens at the Church of Christ in Fairview. Bernard attended Fairview High School, graduating in the mid-1930s. Military Service: On October 16, 1940, Bernard registered for the draft in Morgantown, WV. At the time, he was working for Montgomery Ward and living at 407 Stewart Street. He was 5'7" and 160 lbs with gray eyes, black hair, and ruddy s...

Remembering PVT Robert Clyde Gump (Fairmont) February 26, 1926 - December 10, 1945 ---- PVT Robert Clyde Gump (Service Number 13042582) was born in Fairmont, WV on February 26, 1926, the son of Edward and Ruby (Daniels) Gump.  Unfortunately, Ruby died of "acute nephritis" (WV Death Certificate) on January 27, 1928 at age 38, just three days after the birth of Robert's younger brother, William ( The Waynesburg Republican)  and two weeks after the death of her mother-in-law. She left behind five sons- John (12), Corbly (10), Edward Jr. (9), Robert (1), and William (3 days old). The 1930 Census found their family living at 517 Maryland Avenue in Fairmont, while Edward worked as a brush salesman.  That was short lived, however, and by 1940, thirteen-year-old Robert was a ward of the state, living at the Kappa Sigma Pi Camp in the Laurel Park area of Harrison County.  Robert attended Washington Irving High School before dropping out to enlist in the Army. Meanwhile, Rober...