Marion County Remembers

Remembering PVT Glenn Grenville Wadsworth (Boothsville) October 10, 1923 - January 20, 1945 ---- PVT Glenn Grenville Wadsworth (Service Number 35752793) was born in Smithfield, West Virginia on October 10, 1923, the son of Reverend Golden Gordon and Velma May (Starkey) Wadsworth. During the 1920 Census, Golden (often written as G.G. Wadsworth) was working on his family's farm on Broad Run Road near Ashley in Doddridge County. He still lived in Ashley when he and Velma married on January 2, 1921 (WV Marriage License), and in Doddridge County when Glenn was born in 1923, but by 1930 their family was living in Harrisville (Ritchie County) while G.G. worked as a Methodist Pastor (1930 Census), the career and calling he'd have for the rest of his life.  The 1940 Census found their family, including 16-year-old Glenn and his five siblings, living in Ft. Spring, WV, near Ronceverte in Greenbrier County. The 1940 census also notes that in April of 1935, their family was living in...

Remembering PFC Jennings Owen Chriswell (Fairmont) January 12, 1921 - October 8, 1944 ---- PFC Jennings Owen Chriswell  (Service #35386762) was born in Fairmont, WV on January 12, 1921, the son of Jennings (William) and Katherine (Amama) Chriswell.  Jennings W. was an engineer for the Traction Company in Monongah (1920 census). In August of 1920, Jennings W. and Katherine announced that they had married secretly the previous October, before welcoming baby Jennings in January of 1921.  By 1930, their family had moved to Mill Fall, and Jennings W. was serving as a Power Plant Superintendent. Katherine died August 31, 1931 at age 32 of eclampsia, seven months into her last pregnancy. She was preceded in death by one child, one-year-old Paul, and survived by her husband and three kids under the age of 13. Jennings William remarried, adding two more half-siblings to their blended family. Education and Marriage: Jennings Owen graduated from Fairmont Senior High School in 1940. ...

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 1LT Frank Kinsey Evans (Fairmont) April 28, 1916 to May 13, 1944 "He is a gentleman in whom we place absolute trust." - 1934 FSHS Yearbook ------ 1LT Frank Kinsey Evans was born in Fairmont, WV on April 28, 1916 to William and Ora (Kinsey) Evans. William was the Chief Clerk for a local coal company. The family lived in a variety of locations in Fairmont, all on West Side: 1910 Census: 416 Madison Street 1920 Census: 224 Spring Street 1930 Census: 724 Mt. Vernon Avenue 1940 Census: 414 Gaston Avenue Education Frank graduated from Fairmont Senior High School in 1934. The 1933 yearbook states that Frank's ambition was to become an engineer, while his classmates said of him in the 1934 Maple Leaves "He is a gentleman in whom we place absolute trust." While at Fairmont Senior, he participated in Hi-Y and French Club. Next, Frank enrolled at Fairmont State Teachers College (now Fairmont State University). Frank was the student manager of the Fighting Teach...

PVT George Odbert "Obbie" Cozard (service #35783751) was born March 8, 1926 in Fairmont (Watson), West Virginia, the son of Walter and Georgia (Arnold) Cozad. He was the younger of two sons, with his brother John Odis Cozad only a year older than him (born March 2, 1925). The Cozad family lived in Watson until sometime in the 1930s, when they moved to Lancaster, Ohio. Walter continued working as a glass factory employee, this time at Anchor Hocking Glass. The 1940 Census for Lancaster indicates that they'd been living in Lancaster at least since 1935. By 1943, the family had returned to Watson, and Walter was working (again) at Owens-Illinois, this time as a mold maker. Time at Fairmont Senior High School: During this time, George was attending Fairmont Senior High School. The 1943 FSHS Maple Leaf says by George's junior year photo: "Obbie' came to us from Lancaster High School. His ambition is to become a book-keeper and we think that he will fit perfectly i...