Marion County Remembers

Remembering SGT Robert Wayman Simpson (Fairview/Daybrook) January 15, 1918 - June 28, 1944 ---- SGT Robert Wayman Simpson (Service # 35208334) was born January 15, 1918 in Daybrook, WV, the son of Edward and Bessie (Park) Simpson. Edward was a farmer in Daybrook (1920 - 1940 census). Unfortunately, Bessie died in 1929 at age 39 of pulmonary tuberculosis. Robert attended Daybrook High School for 3 years (consolidated into Clay-Battelle High School in 1939) Military Service: He entered the draft on October 16, 1940. At the time that he completed his draft card, he was 5'8" and 149.5 lbs, with hazel eyes and blonde hair. He gave his address and that of his father's as (R.F.D. 2) Fairview. Robert enlisted in the military on June 23, 1941 in Clarksburg, WV. The book Young American Patriots  shows that Robert was trained/stationed at Fort Still (Oklahoma) and Fort Thomas (Kentucky) before serving in the South West Pacific Theatre.  Battle of Lone Tree: In June of 1944, Rob...

MSGT John Edward Cunningham was born June 3, 1918 in Mannington, WV to Charles and Carrie (Humphrey) Cunningham.  John was the oldest of 7 kids, 5 boys and 2 girls. The family moved around a bit, living and working as farmers in Mannington during the 1920 census, unemployed in Wyatt (Harrison County) during the 1930 census, before finally settling in Baxter where Charles, John, and his brother Paul worked at a department store (1940 census). John entered the draft on October 16, 1940, working at the time for a merchant at 219 Madison Street in Fairmont. He listed himself as 5'11" and 140 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. Under identifying features, it says that he had gray streaks in his hair. He enlisted in the Army at Fort Hayes in Columbus, Ohio on March 19, 1942. At the time he was listed single with no dependents, but on August 11, 1943 John married Mary Margaret (Curry) McElroy. Reverend Jennings H. Fast officiated the wedding in Rowlesburg (Preston County), WV. Mar...

Remembering SSGT James Russell Trisler (Watson/Fairmont) November 27, 1910 - June 20, 1944* ---- * Note: June 20, 1944 seems to be the day that he was declared dead, rather than the day that he actually died ---- SSGT James Russell Trisler (service # 35275214) was born November 27, 1910 in Watson, West Virginia (Fairmont), the son of James L. and Laura (Howard) Trisler. James, who seems to have gone by his middle name, Lawson, was a coal miner (1910 census). By 1918, the family was living in Thornton, WV, about five miles outside of Grafton. Lawson was working as a brick setter for the Thornton Fire Brick Company when he completed his WWI draft card on September 12, 1918. Family records on Ancestry and Findagrave show that Lawson died in 1918, but I haven't been able to find a death certificate or grave marker reflecting that date. The findagrave page for Lawson's son, Carl , says that Lawson died of the Spanish Flu in the fall of 1918. The family remained in Thornton through J...

Remembering TSGT Samuel "Sam" Fox II (Fairmont) July 11, 1924 - June 13, 1944 ---- TSGT Samuel Fox II was born July 11, 1924 in Braxton County, WV, the son of Samuel and Myrtle (McClung) Fox. When Samuel was born, his father was working as a book keeper for the Railroad Company (1920 census).  Sometime between 1920 and 1930, their family moved to 1303 Virginia Avenue in Fairmont so that Samuel Sr. could be the accountant for Consolidated Coal, a position that he continued through at least the 1950s (1930-1950 census records) even as they moved to various houses in Fairmont. Sam attended East Fairmont High School. The 1942 East Fairmont High School Orion yearbook, where this photo of Sam came from, said that his nickname was "Great Orie" and that he participated in Student Council. His future wife, Jean Mathias, was also in the EFHS class of 1943. Enlistment and Marriage: Sam entered into the Army Air Corps on June 15, 1942 (in Kentucky), the summer before his senior...

Remembering PVT Morris Harper "Jack" Hilghman, Jr (Fairmont) May 12, 1924 - June 9, 1944 ---- PVT Morris Harper "Jack" Hilghman, Jr was born May 12, 1924 in Fairmont, WV to Morris (Sr) and Helen (Nay) Hilghman. Their family (as of the 1920 census) lived at 1114 Fennimore Street, and Morris, Sr was a mechanic. Later, Morris started working as a draftsman for the Monongahela System (1930 Census) and the family moved to 425 Monroe Street, apt 4 (1939 City Directory). Jack attended Fairmont Senior High School, where he was a member of the Kl?ub (trivia club), Hi-life, and the basketball team. The caption accompanying his junior year photo in the 1942 yearbook reads: "Jack Hilghman: Killer or the Killer-Diller has an ambition to be a lawyer. Remember this when you're in trouble. Killer likes all sports. Kl?ub, Hi-Life and basketball make up his activities." On June 30, 1942 Jack registered for the draft. He was 5'7.5" and 160 lbs with brown hair, b...

Remembering SGT James Lionel Myers (Fairmont) March 29, 1919 - June 8, 1944 ---- SGT James Lionel Myers was born March 29, 1919 in Fairmont, WV, the son of William and Grace (Shaferman) Myers.  William worked in the coal industry, as a foreman (1910 Census) and miner (1920 census). Unfortunately, William and James' brother, Herbert, died in the Jamison #8 mine disaster on January 14, 1926. The family moved to Fairmont by the time of the 1930 census, where James completed one year of high school at East Fairmont. James also entered into the coal industry, working as a trackman in the mines (1940 census). At that time, the family was living at what the 1940 census described as "296 Fairmont/Morgantown Road." James registered for the draft on October 16, 1940, at which time he was working for the Industrial Collieries Corporation in Fairmont. He is listed as being 6'4" and 183 lbs, with gray eyes, brown hair, and light skin. He enlisted in Clarksburg, WV, on October...

West Virginians Who Died on D-Day As provided by the West Virginia Archives and History Department Scroll to bottom for more information Barbour County: 2Lt Eston C. Kuhn PFC John Manfredi Berkeley County: PVT Vernon C. McDaniel Boone County: SSGT Silbert P. Greene Braxton County: PFC Alva Jackson Knight PFC James D. Lake Cabell County: PFC Elsworth M. Heck Doddridge County: PFC Bernard H. Lipscomb Hancock County: PVT Charles H. Manning Harrison County: SSGT Norman G. Miller GM3 Robert Charles Stonebraker Kanawha County: PVT James O. Boggess PFC Martin V. Hughes SGT William L. Mollohan, Jr. Logan County: Tec5 Charles G. McCalvin Marion County: S1C John Henry Shreves* Note: incorrectly labeled on the list as being from Harrison County Mason County: PVT Raymond L. Winebrener McDowell County: Tec5 Winston Lodge Alexander Tec5 Benjamin F. Winn Mercer County: SSGT Benjamin H. Wirtz Mineral County: PVT Louis F. Nesci Mingo County : PVT Donald G. Colangelo Monongalia County: CAPT John Burk Mc...

Remembering SFC John Henry Shreves (Fairmont) February 29, 1911 - June 6, 1944 ---- Seaman First Class John Henry Shreves was born February 29, 1911 in Pine Grove, WV (Wetzel County), the son of John M. and Rosie (Lovell) Shreves. For the first portion of John H.'s life, his father was a farmer in Wetzel County (1920 census). By 1930, their family had moved to Owens Avenue in Fairmont, where John M. worked as a laborer at the coke factory. In 1932, John Henry Shreves married Ardeth Phoebe Vanata in Fairmont. In 1933 they were living at 113 Walnut Avenue with Ardeth's parents, before moving by 1935 to 815 Ridgely Avenue. Ardeth's father (who died in 1937) and her twin brother, Benjamin, were both painters. John worked as a laborer at the Works Progress Administration. On October 16, 1940, John entered the draft. He recorded himself as 5'10" and 174 lbs, with blue eyes and brown hair. D-DAY: On June 6, 1944, SFC John Henry Shreves was on board the USS LCI(L)-232, an ...