Marion County Remembers

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 SSGT Kenneth L. Morgan (Fairmont) September 16, 1920 - April 26, 1945 ---- SSGT Kenneth L. Morgan (Service Number 20544885) was born in Fairmont, WV on September 16, 1920, the son of William and Lovie (McShaver) Morgan. MSGT William H. "Curley" Morgan was a veteran of more than 14 years of service, including in France during WWI. At the time of Kenneth's birth, William was working as a policeman, and the family lived at 617 Spring Street. They remained there for a least a decade, before moving slightly further up the mountain to 723 Spring Street, between 1930 and 1935. By 1930, William was working as a fireman for the Fairmont Fire Department, which was his career until he retired as Fire Chief. Education: Kenneth attended Fairmont Senior High School, from which he graduated in 1939. Kenneth was a student at Fairmont State when WWII began overseas. While at Fairmont State, he was a member of the Tau Beta Iota (TBI) fraternity Military Service: He enlisted on ...

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 TSGT Mark Douglas Rollins (Fairmont) December 24, 1916 - November 11, 1944 --- TSGT Mark Douglas Rollins (Service #15171212) was born in Fairmont, WV on December 24, 1916, the son of Mark Hannah Rollins & Helen (Fleming) Rollins. At the time of Mark Douglas' birth, their family resided at 217 Albert Court ( Fairmont West Virginian, December 26, 1916 ).  Mark Hannah worked for the Fairmont Motor Car Company on the corner of 5th Street and Fairmont Avenue as a mechanic, while their family lived at 915 Field Street off of Locust Avenue ( 1918 WWI Draft Card ). By 1920, their family was living at 310 Pennsylvania Avenue (1920 Census) while Mark Hannah worked as a mechanic. In 1927, Mark and Helen divorced and both remarried. The 1930 census shows 13-year-old Mark Douglas Rollins living with his father and step-mother at 219 Madison Street. Mark Hannah was still a mechanic. On November 25, 1936, Mark Douglas married Margaret Elizabeth Rowan at First Presbyterian Church i...

Remembering S1C William Emmett "Bill" Buckey, Jr. (Fairmont) September 15, 1923 - October 24, 1944 ---- Early Life: S1C William Emmett Buckey, Jr. (Service #7004347) was born in Fairmont, West Virginia on September 15, 1923, the son of Emmett (Sr.) and Ada (Talkington) Buckey. Willian Sr. and Ada met while they were both students at Fairmont State Normal School (now Fairmont State University) and married in 1915. The 1912 FSNS yearbook, The Mound, says of William: "His future--ask Ada." The 1920 census lists the duo as residing in Morgantown, with William's occupation as "student." In 1923, William became the principal of Fairmont Senior High School, after graduating from WVU with a Master's degree in 1922. Their family lived at 804 Locust Avenue when William Jr. was born and throughout his whole life (1923 City Directory-1945 City Directory). Education and Enlistment: William, Jr, known in his high school yearbooks as "Bill," graduated f...

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...

CPL Richard Edgar Shurtleff was born June 6, 1909 in Fairmont, West Virginia, the son of Richard Aaron and Gladys (Kile) Shurtleff. The  youngest of 3 children, Richard lived with his parents on the West Side of Fairmont, first at 608 Sixth Street (1910 Census), then 1124 Field Street (1920 Census). His father, Richard A. Shurtleff was a shoe merchant who owned his own store. Unfortunately, he died at age 42 while in Boston attending the National Shoe Dealers' Convention. This left Gladys alone with their three children, ages 19, 12, and 10.  Gladys remarried a traveling electrical appliance salesman named Richard B. Berry in 1922, and the family moved to 5 Sunset Drive (1930 Census). Gladys and Richard Berry had one daughter together, Barbara, born in 1924 when Richard Edgar Shurtleff was 15. Education: Richard graduated from Fairmont Senior High School in 1927. While there, he performed in "El Bandido," and "The Trysting Place," as part of the Dramatics Club, ...

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...

Remembering 1LT Harry Blackstone Colborn (Fairmont) September 3rd, 1921 - February 5, 1945 ---- 1LT Harry Blackstone Colborn was born September 3rd, 1921 in Fairmont, West Virginia, to Andrew J. and Martha (Hutchinson) Colborn. During the 1930 census, the family was residing at 322 Locust Avenue, and Andrew is listed as a lawyer. Harry was the oldest of 4 living siblings, all born within an 8 year time period. The 1941 Fairmont city directory lists Andrew as living in the same Locust Avenue home but serving as the vice president of the Hutchinson Coal Company, a step up from the 1939 city directory that lists him as the lawyer for the Hutchinson Coal Company. In the same directories, Harry and his younger brother Melville are listed as students. While attending West Virginia University (WVU), Harry received a B.A. in Political Science (class of 1943) and was a member of the Sphinx men's honorary for seniors, Phi Kappa Psi, and President of the Interfraternity Council. Harry also se...