Marion County Remembers

Remembering MM2C Charles Finley "Chuck" Carpenter (Fairview) January 9, 1920 - August 10, 1943 ----- MM2C Charles Finley "Chuck" Carpenter (Service Number 2582756)   was born January 9, 1920 in Jacksonburg, WV (Wetzel County), the son of Finley A. Carpenter and Clara M. (Morris) Carpenter. At the time of Charles' birth, Finley was working as a public school janitor in Wetzel County (1920 Census). By 1930, their family had moved to Fairview, WV, and Finley was working as a clerk at a hardware store (1930 Census). In 1935, Finley was appointed the Postmaster of Fairview, and remained so until 1943, after which Charles' family moved to 406 9th Street in Fairmont. Finley remained at their 9th Street home until his death.  Charles graduated from Fairview High School in 1938. His senior yearbook states that he was a member of the Varsity Club, Science Club, Library Club, played basketball, was the secretary of the Future Farmers of America, and participated in the...

Remembering PFC Glen Hayward Cosner (Grant Town) October 22, 1922 - January 13, 1945 ---- Note: Some records show Glen's name as Glen, and others say Glenn. We're going to use Glen in this mini-biography as it is what is recorded on his birth record and on his gravestone. ---- PFC Glen Hayward Cosner (Service #35747205) was born in Philippi, West Virginia on October 22, 1922, the son of Leslie and Goldie (Marsh) Cosner. When Glen was born, his parents were living in Midland, West Virginia, and his father was working as an engineer (WV Birth Record). By 1930, the Cosner family had moved to Grant Town in Marion County, where Leslie worked at the coal mine as a foreman (1930 Census) and later a section boss (1940 Census). Glen graduated from Fairview High School in 1941, where he participated in Varsity Club, Pep Club, Glee Club, Baseball, and Basketball. His senior yearbook gave his nickname as "Caswell." Military Service: PFC Glen Cosner entered the draft on June 30, 1...

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...

Born March 7, 1921 in Caddo, Texas to Joseph F. and Della Carroll, Joseph William Carroll was a 1939 graduate of Fairview High School.  At the time of his death, Joseph was serving as a Firefighter 2nd Class on the U.S.S. Oklahoma on base in Pearl Harbor. During the attack, Japanese torpedo bombers hit the Oklahoma's hull with torpedos, capsizing the ship. Awarded a Purple Heart posthumously he is honored at the U.S.S. Oklahoma Memorial, and the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. 429 crewman from the U.S.S. Oklahoma died that day, many unidentified and buried in mass graves.  Due to the advances in forensic technology, the remains of crew members were exhumed in 2015 to be brought to the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. On August 19, 2019, Joseph was identified amidst the remains. Note: While F2 Carroll was raised in Fairview by his grandparents, his mother was a boarder at 45 Country Club Road in Fairmont at the...