| H. W. Adams | Robert Pratt |
| Burl Bontz | Alfred Schmitt |
| Eugene Bruninga | Heye Schultz |
| Adolph Johnson | Howard Smith |
| Glenn Loeffel | more to come... |
Sgt. Adams Rites Sunday; Mason City VFW in Charge
Memorial services for Sgt. Harold Wayne Adams, 24, formerly of 240 Shelly
street, son of Mrs. Avis C. Adams, will be held Sunday at 2 p. m., DST, at the
Covey & Wright mortuary.
Burial will be in the Mason City cemetery, at 3 p. m.,
CST, with military rites being conducted by the Joe Cackley Post No. 9324, VFW
of Mason City. The Rev. Dan Demmin, chaplain at R. G. LeTourneau, Inc., will
officiate and the LeTourneau Quartet will sing.
Sgt. Adams died in the Cambridge, England, hospital,
Aug. 12, 1944 of injuries incurred while loading an aircraft. He was stationed
with the 8th Air Force, 364 Bombadier Squadron, and later with the 305 Bombadier
group. He received the Good Conduct medal for meritorious service.
Born in Greenview, Jan. 16. 1920, he was a son of Harry
O. and Avis C. Benham Adams. He married Mildred Jones in Petersburg, Jan. 2,
1937. He was a resident of Peoria before he entered the service Feb. 20, 1942.
He took his basic training at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Aberdeen, Md., and
was then sent to the Muroc Bombing and Gunnery Range at Muroc, Cal. From the
California base he went overseas to England.
In civilian life, Mr. Adams was employed by the R. G.
LeToureau Inc., in the heat treat department. One of his favorite hobbies was
bowling and he was on the LeTourneau bowling team.
Surviving are his mother, a daughter, Patty Ann, 11
years old, and a sister. Mrs. Berniece Thomas of Peoria. His father, preceded
him in death, here Jan. 6. 1946.
(Unknown Peoria newspaper, unknown date, data compiled by Mrs. Smallberger,
submitted by June Schlager)
Death Notice Arrives Day After Letter
S. Sgt. Eugene E. Bruninga,
22, a radioman and waist gunner in the Eigth Army Air Force, was killed over
France June 22, the War Department has notified his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis
E. Bruninga, who reside near the Peoria airport.
Only Wednesday his parents had received a letter from
Sergeant Bruninga saying that he had been in a rest camp and was in good
spirits.
a 1939 graduate of Manual Training high school,
Sergeant Bruninga enlisted in the Army Aug. 30, 1942. He had been awarded the
Air medal and an Oak Leaf Cluster.
Surviving are one sister, Mrs. Margaret Noren of Pekin,
his grandmother, Mrs. Margaret Saebens, 322 Faraday street, and several aunts
and uncles. (Unknown Peoria newspaper,
June 8, 1944, data compiled by Mrs. Smallberger,
submitted by June Schlager)
Rites for Gunner, Casualty in 1944, Here on Monday
Memorial services for Sgt.
Eugene C. Bruninga, son of Mrs. Lewis Bruninga, R. R. 1, Peoria, who was shot
down over Paris, France on June 22, 1944 at the age of 22, will be held at 1 p.
m. Monday at the Wilton mortuary chapel with the Rev. H. C. Haferman
officiating. Burial will be in the Lutheran cemetery, and military rites will be
accorded by Bartonville American Legion post
Born Oct. 8, 1921 in Peoria, Sergeant Bruninga was the
son of Lewis E. and Anna Saebens Bruninga He was a graduate of Manual Training
high school and prior to entering the service had been employed as a drafting
engineer in the parts department at Caterpillar Tractor Company. He enlisted
Aug. 31, 1942 and attended flight school at Stamford, Tex., qualifying as a
gunner at Harlingen, Tex.
Surviving are his mother, one grandmother, Mrs.
Margaret Saebens, and a sister, Mrs. Margaret Jane Noren, R. R. 1, Peoria. His
father died Nov. 29, 1947. [mistake]
Friends may call at Wilton mortuary Sunday afternoon
and evening. A military escort will bring his body to Peoria today.
(Unknown Peoria newspaper, unknown date, data compiled by Mrs. Smallberger,
submitted by June Schlager)
Pvt. A. H. Johnson Killed in France
Overseas only a short time,
Pvt. Adolph Henry Johnson was killed Aug. 1 in France the War department has
informed his parents, Mr. and Mrs. George A. Johnson, R. R. 3, Peoria. Private
Johnson worked on his father's farm before entering the Army in January.
Surviving are his parents, his widow who resides at 417
Reed avenue; three sisters and two brothers, one of whom is John A. Johnson of
Peoria.
(Unknown Peoria newspaper, unknown date, data compiled by Mrs. Smallberger,
submitted by June Schlager)
Marine Rites For Pfc. Bontz Here March 3
Memorial services for Pfc. Burl C. Bontz, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Bontz,
109 Hatterman ave., Bartonville, will be held at 1 p. m. Wednesday at the Wilton
mortuary chapel.
The Rev. Glen C. Rambe of Tyng Memorial church, will
officiate and military rites will be conducted by the local Marine Corps Reserve
unit. Pallbearers will be Marine comrades of Private Bontz. Friends may call at
the mortuary Tuesday afternoon and evening.
The funeral cortege is expected to arrive in Peoria
Tuesday morning accompanied by a Marine escort.
Pfc. Bontz died Nov. 23, 1943, in the Naval hospital on
Guadalcanal, from injuries suffered Nov. 16, when a 500 lb. bomb exploded within
five feet of him.
Though critically wounded, he begged medical corpsmen
who came to his rescue to let him remain there until the raid was over, so that
they might escape injury. His bravery was highly commended by his captain and
comrades.
A SON OF CONRAD and Pearl Wheeler Bontz he was born in
Hanna City June 8, 1921, and in January, 1924, moved with his parents to
Bartonville where he spent his life until enlistment with the Marines. Pfc.
Bontz attended the Bartonville and Oak Grove grade schools and graduated from
Manual Training high school in 1939. He played the clarinet in the Manual band.
Enlisting in the Marine Corps Aug. 6, 1942, attached to
the Third division, Twelfth Marines, he trained at San Diego, Niland, and
Oceanside, all in California. In less than six months after his enlistment, Jan.
29, 1943 he was sent to the South Pacific. He served in New Zealand, on
Guadalcanal and took part in the invasion of Bougainville as a machine gunner
Nov. 1, 1943.
He leaves his parents, an only sister, Mrs. George
Polson; his grandmother, Mrs. James Wheeler, and a niece, Valerie Jean Polson,
all of Bartonville. (Unknown Peoria newspaper, unknown date, data compiled by Mrs. Smallberger,
submitted by June Schlager)
Plane Forced Down Off Coast
Capt. Glenn B. Loeffel, 24,
son of Mr. and Mrs. John W. Loeffel, R. R. 3, Peoria, flying instructor at the
United States Marine base at Santa Barbara, Cal., was killed Thursday in a freak
plane crash along the Pacific coast, according to word received Friday by his
parents.
Captain Loeffel was on a short flight when his plane
ran into a severe storm, which forced it down near the shore. As yet no trace
has been found of the body.
He had been ground school instructor for the last year,
and prior to that had been on active duty in the South Pacific. He served in the
Solomon islands, being on Guadalcanal for some time. He was awarded the Navy
Cross for extraordinary heroism in the Solomon area, where he took part in an
attack against enemy naval installations on Gizo bay on Sept. 6, 1942, assisted
in bombing a Japanese seaplane base on Bekata bay on Sep. 29, and scored a
direct hit which severely damaged a Japanese cruiser on Oct. 3.
Captain Loeffel was born in Peoria on June 21, 1919,
and spent his entire life here until his enlistment in the Navy on June 16,
1941. He took flying instructions at Pensacola, Fla., and then transferred to
the Marine Corps. He attended Oak Grove grade school and was graduated from
Manual Training high school and had attended Bradley college two and one-half
years before entering the service. He had also been an employee of the keystone
Steel & Wire Co.
He leaves his parents; one brother, Charles of the Army
Air Corps and a sister, Mrs. Evangeline Renner of R. R. 3, Peoria. His father is
now convalescing from a surgical operation which he had undergone at the same
hour the accident occurred.
(Unknown Peoria newspaper, Jan. 1, 1944, data compiled by Mrs. Smallberger,
submitted by June Schlager)
Glasford Marine Killed In Action
Marine Pvt. Robert Pratt, 19, of Glasford, formerly of Bartonville, has been
killed in action in the Southwest Pacific according to word received Wednesday
by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Duane Pratt of Glasford. His parents believe he was
killed in the Saipan conflict.
Private Pratt, who was in the Marines two years, is
survived by his parents, a sister Onita, a brother, David, all of Glasford, and
his grandfather, Bernard Heitzman of Bartonville. His mother is the former Lula
Heitzman of Bartonville.
(Unknown Peoria newspaper, unknown date, data compiled by Mrs. Smallberger,
submitted by June Schlager)
Alfred Schmitt Missing in Action
Alfred Schmitt of the Navy, former Bartonville resident, is missing in action,
according to word received by Bartonville friends.
He resided at 5914 Madison street and was employed by
the Luthy and Locher company in Peoria before entering service March 9, 1944.
His wife resides with her parents in Anna since leaving Bartonville, and his
parents reside in Spring Bay. Several brothers and sisters live in Peoria.
Mr. and Mrs. Schmitt lost their only child while living
in Bartonville. (Unknown Peoria newspaper,
Sep. 25, 1944, data compiled by Mrs. Smallberger,
submitted by June Schlager)
Pfc. Schultz Memorial On Saturday
Memorial services for Pfc. Heye Schultz, 29, son of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Schultz,
Bellevue, are set for 2:30 p. m. Saturday at the Wilton mortuary. The Rev. P.
Alvin Park of Bethel Lutheran church will officiate, and interment will be in
Lutheran cemetery.
The funeral cortege arrived in Peoria this morning, and
friends may call at the mortuary Friday afternoon and evening.
Private Schultz was killed in action Aug. 3, 1944,
while fighting on the Normandy beachhead. He was inducted into the Army March
11, 1941, and received his initial training at Fort Sam Houston, Tex., and then
was transferred to Camp McCoy, Wis., for almost a year. Private Schultz was then
sent to Northern Ireland and remained there for a year before being sent into
Normandy. He was a member of the Ninth infantry. 2nd division.
He was born Oct. 17, 1914, and for 12 years before
induction had been employed by the Ceco Steel Products Corp. at Bartonville.
Surviving are his parents; a brother, William F.
Schultz; two sisters Mrs. Elsie Ponzel and Mrs.Carrie Heitzman, and his
93-year-old grandfather, Heye Peters.
(Unknown Peoria newspaper, unknown date, data compiled by Mrs. Smallberger,
submitted by June Schlager)
Private first class Howard A. Smith, 28. radio man on an Army bomber, was reported killed in an airplane crash in China on March 11, 1944. He had been on duty in China since November, 1943. (Unknown Peoria newspaper, unknown date, data compiled by Mrs. Smallberger, submitted by June Schlager)
A WORD OF THANKS
It is with a deep
feeling of appreciation that we wish to thank all of the friends, neighbors,
relatives, and acquaintances who have shown us their sympathy and consideration
in so many different ways since we received the sad news that our son and
brother, PFC Howard A. Smith, had died as a soldier of the Army Air Forces in
China. Such helpfulness of all is impossible to measure, but we will never
forget it. --Mr. George A. Smith and Family.
(Unknown Peoria newspaper, unknown date, data compiled by Mrs. Smallberger,
submitted by June Schlager)
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