Marion County Remembers

Remembering MSGT Robert G. Martin (Farmington) October 16, 1923 - November 30, 1944 ---- MSGT Robert G. Martin (Service Number 15019842) was born in Farmington, WV on October 16, 1923, the son of George and Mary (Joliff) Martin. George was a coal miner (1930-1950 Censuses), and their family lived on East Run in Farmington with George's widowed mother. Robert was the oldest of seven children- four boys, three girls. Robert attended Farmington High School, from which he graduated on June 5, 1941 (1945 Lincolneer Yearbook).  Military Service: On June 24, 1941, Robert, age 17, enlisted in the Army Air Corps at Fort Hayes in Columbus, Ohio. At the time, he was 5'9" and 154 lbs (Army Enlistment Record). Robert became a member of the 674th Bomber Squadron, 417th Bomber Group, Light. On November 30, 1944, Robert was an Engineer on board Douglas A-20G Havoc 43-22228, piloted by 1LT James E. Inglehart. Their plane took off from Pitoe Airstrip, with an intended destination of Halmah...

Remembering MSGT Richard Glassco Tennant (Farmington) October 3, 1918 - May 8, 1943 ---- Master Sergeant Richard Glassco Tennant (Service # 15012411) was born October 3, 1918 in Farmington, WV to Loren and Willa "Pearl" (Davis) Tennant.  Loren worked as a telegraph operator (1920 census) for the railroad. Unfortunately, Loren died in 1927, leaving Pearl unemployed in Farmington with their three children- Ruth (11), Richard (8), and Edna (7), living at Parish Run specifically. Richard attended Farmington High School, graduating with the class of 1937. While at Farmington High School, he played baseball and football ("Richard Tennant, Lost in May 1943, Is Reported Dead ," Fairmont Times) .  The 1944 Lincolneer Yearbook says of Richard: "Dick," a bombardier has been missing in the Pacific theater of war since May 8, 1943. He is a graduate of our school in the class of 1937. He enlisted in the Air Corps in 1939 and has been in Panama and the South Pacific sinc...

Remembering PVT Andrew Heide Fletcher (Farmington/Rachel) August 2, 1918 - January 7, 1945 ---- Note: The West Virginia Veterans Memorial records Andrew's middle name as Heide, as does his son's findagrave profile. Andrew's draft card, however, says Hines. It's unclear at this time which one is correct. ---- PVT Andrew Heide Fletcher (service number 15115975) was born in Farmington, WV on August 2, 1918, the son of (John) Russell and Bernice (Ramage) Fletcher.  Throughout his career, Russell worked at the coal mine. In the 1920s, their family lived in the Chaltham Hill area, while Russell worked as a laborer at the coal mine (1920 Census). In the 1930s onward, they lived near "Little Mods Run Road," where Russell was first a motor repairman (1930 Census), then an electrician (1940 Census).  Wedding bells rang on December 27, 1938, when Andrew married Martha Floyd from Mannington.  Andrew, who according to his Army enlistment paperwork, completed three years of...

Remembering PVT Steve Postellak (Farmington) July 31, 1924 - December 30, 1944 ---- Note: to the best of my knowledge, PVT Steve Postellak was the last Marion County man to die in military service in 1944. Postellak is also spelled with several different variations over the course of the records located. Most notably, Peter's declaration of intent for naturalization gives their last name as "Pasztellak" --- PVT Steve Postellak (Service #35756622) was born in Farmington, WV on July 31, 1924, the son of Hungarian immigrants Peter and Rosa (Zebo) Postellek. Their family lived in the "Big Laurel Run Road" area of Farmington (1930, 1940 Census), as Peter was a laborer at the Jamison Coal & Coke #9 Mine.  Somewhere between 1930 and 1935, Peter lost his right leg above the knee, and was no longer able to work (Naturalization Paperwork, 1940 Census). Steve graduated from Farmington High School in 1942. Military Service: Steve registered for the draft on December 17,...

  Remembering PFC Harry Millard Kuhn, Jr (Metz/Mannington)  August 25, 1917 - July 6, 1944 ---- PFC Harry Millard Kuhn, Jr (service # 15072213) was born on August 25, 1917 in the Lincoln District of Marion County, the son of Harry Sr. and Lucy (Davis) Kuhn.  Harry Sr. was a laborer in the gas field industry (1920 census), an occupation he continued through the rest of his life. The 1930 census shows the family living in the "Farmington Suburbs," but by 1940 they were living near Flat Run Road in Mannington (closer to Metz) on a farm, working as farmers. By then Harry, Jr. had dropped out of school and was also working on the farm. The 1940 census lists his highest level of education as 7th grade. (Note: Harry, Sr.'s 1967 obituary lists him as a "retired oil driller.") ---- Military Service: Harry registered for the draft on October 16, 1940. He was 5'8" and 140 lbs, with brown hair, brown eyes, and light skin. At the time of registration, he was working...

SGT Peter Paul Phillips was born February 21, 1917 in Pittsburgh, PA, the son of  Walenty and Rosalie (Malinowska) Filipiak. Walenty and Rosa were originally from Poland, immigrating to the U.S. in 1912, and marrying in 1916. An alternative spelling of their names is "Walter and Rosa Phillips" as seen on the 1920 and 1930 West Virginia census data. At the time of Peter's birth (according to Walenty's WWI draft card, dated June 5, 1917), the family was living at 316 Harman Street in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Peter was the oldest of six brothers, all of whom entered the draft (or attempted to, in the youngest's case).  In 1920, the family was living in West Virginia, first in McDowell County. By 1930, the family moved to Farmington, where their address was listed as "Big Laurel Run Road," and Walenty was working as a coal loader. Pete likely graduated from Farmington High School, as his draft card said that he completed four years of high school. In 1935, ...

Corporal Edward Lee Bane was born December 14, 1911 in Murraysville, Pennsylvania to Kelly Herman Bane and Jesse (Masters) Bane. Unfortunately, his mother died March 9, 1916 of pneumonia following several days of lagrippe and measles, leaving behind three children-- Fred (7), Edward (4), and Marguerite (2). By 1920, Edward (8) was living on Dunkard Mill Road just outside of Farmington, where his father was working as an engineer at the local gas plant. By then, Kelly had married Rose Bradley, with Edward's half-brother, Robert Harry Bane, soon to arrive.  Edward registered for the draft on October 16,1940. He listed himself as 5'8" and 160 pounds, with blue eyes, brown hair, and light brown skin. By then he had married Elizabeth Hoskinson and was living at 511 Rose Avenue in Fairmont, West Virginia. He was working at the Fairmont Supply Company on 10th Street. In 1941, Edward and Elizabeth were living at 411 1/2 Walnut Ave, and both were still working at the Fairmont Suppl...

In 2015, the Marion County Public Library was preparing for the arrival of an extensive WWII exhibit, and I decided to do research on our county in that same time frame. Imagine my surprise when reading the roll call of the dead that a name looked familiar- Paul Dawson. Looking at local yearbooks confirmed that this Paul Dawson, whose name I'd never heard at a family gathering, was the brother of my maternal grandfather. At the time, I didn't do much research into his life, but on Memorial Day, I began in earnest. Here's his story.  Isaac Paul Dawson (service number 35742383 )  was born July 12, 1919 in Farmington, WV, the son of Wilbert Howard Dawson and Olive Osa Fletcher . He had two siblings, Wilbert Harold Dawson , and Maxine Vivian Dawson Stover . It is my understanding that everyone but Maxine went by their middle names. Paul was a graduate of the Farmington High School Class of 1938. On October 16, 1940, at age 21, Paul registered for the draft. His draft card rea...