Marion County Remembers

Remembering 2LT William Lavelle Watson (Fairmont) June 6, 1917 - May 24, 1944 ----- 2LT William Lavelle Watson was born June 6, 1917 in Elkins, WV, the son of Roy and Eunice (Kildow) Watson. Roy was a railroad conductor in Elkins, but unfortunately died on December 10, 1922 when he fell under a moving train. Eunice was left alone with their three sons- Robert (7), William (5), and George (2). Eunice married again in 1927, this time to George Raymond Smith. At that time, the family moved to Fairmont. Not much is known about Eunice's youngest son, George, but a family member of theirs on Ancestry speculates that he died around 1927 as well.*  *Note: I haven't been able to find anything corroborating or denying the information about George's death, but he did not appear on any census records after 1920. An article about William does mention that George had died in Elkins ("Lieut. Watson Dies On Raid,"  The Elkins Inter-Mountain). In the 1930 census, the Smith/Watson ...

Remembering 2LT William Fay Davis August 9, 1922 - May 4, 1944 ---- 2LT William Fay Davis was born August 9, 1922 in Everson, West Virginia to Marcene and Willa (Everson) Davis. William was the third of four children, with two older sisters (Mary Margaret and Virginia) and one younger brother (John). William spent much of his life in Baxter, WV, while his father worked for Consolidated Coal in Rivesville, first as a trackman (1930 Census), then as a timberman (1940 Census). William entered the draft on June 30, 1942. At the time, he was also employed by Consolidated Coal in Rivesville. He listed himself as 5'11" and 151 lbs, with blue eyes and brown hair. He only attended two years of high school according to the 1940 census, presumably at Rivesville High School. Military Service: He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in Wheeling on February 5, 1943. On May 4, 1944, 2LT William Fay Davis died in a plane crash near Westover Field in Ludlow, Massachusets, when all four engines exper...