Ruby Smith Grave, Macedonia, Iowa

WW II Dead

 Source: website bigpigeon.us, webpage WW II Dead > Roster Outliers.
​© 2021 by Robert A. “Bob” Christiansen, updated 8 Mar 2021.

I built my roster of Pottawattamie County area WW II Dead using three major secondary sources:

• Iowa Bonus Case Files for Beneficiaries (requires ancestry.com membership to acccess). The beneficiaries of Iowa WW II veterans who were on active duty before 2 Sep 1945 or 31 Dec 1946 (I've seen both dates) and were deceased before 1950 (I don't know the exact cutoff) were entitled to a payment of up to $500, providing certain additional conditions were met.
• http://iagenweb.org/wwii/WWIIRollofHonor/PottawattamieRollofHonor.html - denoted below by RofH. This was developed presumably using as the major source WW II era articles from the Council Bluffs Nonpareil.
• http://genealogytrails.com/iowa/pottawattamie/veterans_plaza.htm - names inscribed on the Veteran's Plaza wall at Bayliss Park in Council Bluffs, denoted below by VP.

This webpage lists differences between these three sources and my roster.

Part 1 - Late and Pending Additions to the Roster

• Selected names found in the Iowa WW II Bonus Case Files for Beneficiaries database.
• List built in early 2021 - Pott. Co. area beneficiary but decedent was not yet in my WW II Dead roster.
• Most list members died after release from service but before 1950.
• I have now added those who died in service to my roster; I will add others as time permits.
• I have excluded veterans who entered service after the Japanese surrender on 2 Sep 1945.
• data shown: decedent’s name, birth date, claimant’s town; service dates; death date
• + means now added to my roster, (SP) means in my St. Paul’s database

Decedents with Pottawattamie County beneficiary:
Aylsworth, James Frankline    23 Oct 1915    Co. Bluffs (9 Feb ’43 - 23 Dec ’44); d. 18 Nov ’47
Barritt, Glen Hough (SP)        7 Jan 1904    Co. Bluffs (25 Jan ’44 - 18 Nov ’45); d. 3 Aug ’49
Brooks, Newell Harvey        23 Jun 1925    Co. Bluffs (19 Jun ’43 - 4 Apr ’46); d. 27 Dec ’48
Casson, John R. Jr. (SP)        29 Apr 1920    McClelland (20 Apr ’42 - 16 Feb ’46); d.. 27 Dec ’48
Champlin, Harold J.            9 Dec 1918    Co. Bluffs (9 Sep ’42 - 16 Oct ’45); d. 29 Mar ’47
Christensen, Chester Lloyd    3 Sep 1927    Co. Bluffs (19 Oct ’45 - 2 Dec ’46); d. 12 Sep ’48
+ Curnes, Alvin Hezekiah        19 Jan 1906    Co. Bluffs (14 Oct ’42 - 29 Sep ’44); d. 25 Sep ’48
Curran, Walter Francis (SP)    5 Oct 1909    Co. Bluffs (24 Sep ’42 - 2 Oct ’45); d.12 May ’49
Desmond, Bernard P.        10 May 1916    Co. Bluffs (2 Feb ’42 - 1 Dec ’45); d. 10 May ’47
Fedor, Joseph James        4 Oct 1925    Co. Bluffs (12 Nov ’43 - 15 Apr ’46); d. 18 Jan ’49
From, Glen F                4 May 1010    Co. Bluffs (3 Apr ’44 - 6 Dec ’45); d. 20 Jan ’48
Grate, Forest Glenn            20 Oct 1928    Co. Bluffs 11 Feb 1946 - 24 Aug ’48); d. 24 Aug ’48
Joy, Gene Raymond (SP)        30 Aug 1921    Honey Creek (28 Feb ’44) - 23 Jan ’46); d. 29 Sep ’49
Lovejoy, Harry W.            21 Jul 1915    Co. Bluffs (5 Sep ’42 - 30 Dec ’45); d. 22 Aug ’48
Miner, Frank J. (SP)            10 Oct 1915    Co. Bluffs (10 Dec ’42 - 16 Nov ’45); d 16 Feb ’48
Spidell, George William        23 Jan 1924    Co. Bluffs (29 Jan ’41 - 1 Apr ’47); d. 1 Sep ’48
Thompson, Oxal Ray        22 Feb 1922    Co. Bluffs (6 Jan ’43 - 8 Nov ’45); d. 28 Jul ’48

Decedents with Harrison County beneficiary:
Adams, David Jackson        15 Sep 1925    Missouri Valley - (Dec ’43 - 4 May ’46); d. 29 Aug ’47
Donahoe, Jack            16 Oct 1910    Missouri Valley - (6 Sep ’42 - 31 Jan ’45); d. 6 Apr ’48
+ Eggers, Edward (SP)        5 Jun 1912    Dunlap - (19 May ’42 - 9 Jul ’43); d. 9 Jul ’43
+ Gallup, Eugene Maxwell (SP)    24 Nov 1919    Logan - (28 Oct ’42 - 24 Apr ’44); d. 24 Apr ’44
+ Gustafson, Carl Lynn        15 Dec 1913    Mo. Valley (29 Mar ’41 - 11 Feb ’45); d. 11 Feb ’45
+ Keuter, Ambrose J. (SP)        17 Sep 1918    Dunlap - (28 Jun ’44 - 5 May ’45); d. 5 May ’45
+ Lesch, Joseph F. (SP)        2 Sep 1922    Dunlap - (Jan ’43 - 15 Apr ’45); d. 15 Apr ’45
+ Moore, Devore Franklin (SP)    24 Jun 1922    Mo. Valley - (18 Feb ’43 - 7 Feb ’45); d. 7 Feb ’45
Parks, Ward Merritt    (SP)        21 May 1921    Persia    - (20 Jan ’44 - 4 Feb ’46); d. 14 Jul ’47
Pitt, Sidney Bird (SP)        20 Dec 1901    Logan - (6 Nov ’42 - 8 May ’44); d. 11 Jul ’48
+ Rethmeier, William F. (SP)    28 Feb 1912    Dunlap - (9 Mar ’43 - 30 May ’44); d. 30 May ’44
+ Thomsen, Walter P. H.        16 Sep 1922    Dunlap - (28 Dec ’42 - 26 Jan ’44); d. 26 Jan ’44
+ Wright, David F.            12 Oct 1917    Dunlap - (29 Mar ’41 - 1 Mar ’45); d. 1 Mar ’45

Decedents with Mills County beneficiary:
+ Briggs, Orval Pershing        17 Sep 1918    Emerson - (6 Mar ’40 -13 Nov ’42); d. 13 Nov ’42
+ Cargill, Lawrence E. (SP)    6 Aug 1922    Tabor - (20 Nov ’42 - 8 May ’44); d. 8 May ’44
Comba (Combs), Richard Aaron    16 Apr 1920    Pacific Jct. - (10 Sep ’40 - 25 Oct ’45); d. 24 Sep ’49
Edie, Marion Robert            11 Apr 1926    Emerson - (25 Mar ’44 - 22 Mar ’47); d. 14 Jun ’47
Edie, Roland L.            30 May 1918    Emerson - (18 Nov ’40 - 16 Dec ’44); d. 14 Dec ’49
+ Garrett, Elmer Earl (SP)        7 May 1918    Glenwood - (Jun 42 - 3 Dec ’44); d. 3 Dec ’44
+ Holiday, Albert Henry (SP)    3 Jun 1920    Glenwood - (10 Sep ’41 - 11 Jun ’44); d. 11 Jun ’44
+ Kitson, Donald E.            30 Apr 1923    Anderson (sic, Audubon, Audubon Co.); d. 8 Apr ’45
Messinger, Jack            12 Sep 1922    Glenwood - (10 Feb ’41 - 2 Nov ’45); d. 8 Nov ’48
+ Seitz, Charles R. Jr. (SP)        21 Sep 1918    Glenwood - (1 Jun ’41 - 7 Sep ’44); d. 7 Sep ’44
+ Simpson, Harold E.        6 Nov 1919    Emerson - (23 Jun ’44 - 12 Jan ’45); d. 12 Jan ’45
Smith, Jack F.            10 Sep 1910    Glenwood - (26 Mar ’42 - 4 Dec ’43); d. 1 Jan ’48
Sobbing, Ivan A.            21 Nov 1924    Emerson - (16 Jul ’42 - 6 Nov ’45); d. 21 Aug ’48
+ Windle, Fay Richard (SP)    21 Jul 1925    Tabor - (14 Sep ’43 - 18 Aug ’44); d. 18 Aug ’44

Decedents with Shelby County beneficiary:
+ Anderson, Harold M. (SP)    12 Jun 1919    Harlan - (8 May ’41 - 7 Jun ’42); d. 7 Jun ’42
Bird, John H.                20 Mar 1916    Irwin - (16 Dec ’40 - 24 Aug ’43); d. 24 Jan ’48
Blackwell, Kenneth Chester    3 Jan 1919    Defiance - (20 Aug ’40 - 19 Jul ’47); d. 8 Nov ’48
+ Firebaugh, Gordon Dale (SP)    15 Sep 1922    Harlan - (21 Jan ’45 - 3 Sep 1945); d. 3 Sep ’45
Jacobsen, William C.        18 Oct 1911    Harlan - 29 Apr ’42 - 31 Aug ’45); d. 18 Aug ’48
Klinkefus, Harold Emerson        12 Nov 1914    Harlan - (15 Nov ’44 - 5 Nov ’45); d. 18 May ’49
Sternberg, Herbert N. (SP)        11 Mar 1905    Defiance - (7 Nov ’42 - 11 Jun ’43); d. 19 Mar ’44
​
Part 2 - Roll of Honor/Veteran's Plaza names - lack family/military data - not in my WW II Dead roster.

• Andersen, Andrew - RofH, VP
• Blair, Clyde T. - VP
• Petersen, Merle J. RofH, VP
• Porter, Dale L. - VP
• Saunders, William “Jim” - VP
• Weide, Elaine G. - VP
• Wilkinson, Robert L., d. 27 Mar ’45 - RofH

​Part 3 - Roll of Honor/Veteran's Plaza names - area connection unknown - included in my WW II Dead roster.

• Anderson, Virgil Wendell, SN T-003902, USAAF, Buena Vista & Pott. Cos. - RofH, VP
• Hansen, Matthias Peter, SN 39-839-172, US Army, Humboldt Co., CA - RofH, VP
• Jensen, Carl Christian, SN 6-863-492, US Army, Audubon & Pott. Cos.​​ - RofH, VP
• Rhoads, Guy Benjamin, SN 648-06-39, US Navy, Custer Co., NE - RofH, VP
• Sturd, Clarence Vincent, SNs 37-112-253  & 37-142-251, US Army, Harvey Co., KS, VP

Part 4 - Major differences between Roll of Honor/Veteran's Plaza names and WW II Dead roster names.

• Alter, Earl Carlton, SN O-157398, US Naval Aviation, of Persia, IA, appears as Carlton, Earl in RofH.
• Duffy/Lein, Robert Eugene, SN 17-197-256, appears in army records under this serial number both as Lein Robert E and Duffy Robert E. His mother was divorced from Lawrence D. Lein and married to Edward P. Duffy.
• McLoud, James Fredrick of Walnut, Pott. Co. served from Washington Co., Oklahoma as Long, Fred O., SN 37-442-043, US Army. He appears as McLoud, James Fredrick in RofH and as Long, Fred O. in VP.

Part 5 - Roll of Honor names not in my WW II Dead roster.

• Petersen, Jack Millard, SN 648-08-27, US Navy; b. 18 Oct 1921 Co. Bluffs; s/o Harley Petersen & Frances H. Millard of Co. Bluffs; entered service 4 Jan 1942 from Co. Bluffs; released 5 Nov 1945; d. 4 Mar 1973; probable confusion with Jack Peterson of Harlan, Shelby Co., s/o Harlan Peterson, who was lost at sea in the Atlantic Ocean during WW II and is included in my WW II roster. 

Part 6 - Veteran's Plaza WW II section names not in my WW II Dead roster.

Part 6A - Belongs in the Veteran's Plaza WW I section:

• Smith, Ruby - b. 13 Jan 1888 Pott. Co.; d/o Willard E. Smith & Susan Knox of Grove Twp.; WW I Red Cross volunteer from Macedonia, Pott. Co.; d. 16 Oct 1918 in New York during the influenza pandemic on her way to France; bur. Macedonia Cem.; Macedonia's Ruby Smith Post 648 of the American Legion carries her name.

Part 6B - WW II veteran who died later than 1949 and thus not qualified for my WW II Dead roster:

• Cain, Orville J. - Orville James Cain, SN 250572, Sgt., USMC; b. 9 Feb 1909 s/o James E. Cain & Catherine E. Schriver who lived in Nebraska and then settled in rural Carson, Pott. Co.; 1st Defense Bn., Wake Island; POW near Shanghai, China; m. Bernice Rose Viola Kunze; d. 8 Oct 1987;  bur. Wheeler Grove Cem. near Carson.
• Wall, Charles E. - Charles Elmer Wall b. 18 Mar 1923 near Griswold, Pleasant Twp., Cass Co.; s/o Vernon E. Wall & Edith Moore; served in ETO in WW II; m. Betty J. Briles; d. 7 Feb 1995; bur. Mt. Olivet Cem., Cheyenne, WY.
• Winger, Ancil W. - Ancil Wayne Winger, SN 3164416, Electrician's Mate 3/c, US Navy; b. 29 Oct 1916 Plattsmouth, NE s/o Earl Winger & Gladys Edie; raised in Co. Bluffs; parents at 1607 4th Ave. during WW II; submarine USS Perch (SS-176), damaged by Japanese destroyer torpedoes and scuttled NW of Surabaya, Java 3 Mar 1942; POW (of the crew of 54, five died in captivity, 49 survived WW II); remained in service after WW II; married Elizabeth Jane "Betty" Wise 1954; d. 8 May 1986, bur. Ft. Logan Nat'l Cem., Denver, CO. 

Part 6C - Enlisted after WW II ended, belong in the Veteran's Plaza Died While Serving in the Military section:

• Grate, Forest G., USAF - b. 20 Oct 1928; s/o Forest Glenn Grate & Perninah Jean “Jennie” Penman; enlisted Feb 1946; Sgt. 1100th Sta. Med, Gp.; d. 24 Aug 1948 in two-plane collision near Newton, NJ; bur. Memorial Park Cem., Co. Bluffs.
• Hathaway, Joseph L., US Army - b. 7 Oct 1929; s/o Gaylord Roy Hathaway & Lessie Pearl German; enlisted 16 Jan 1946; d. 17 Jul 1949 in Germany; bur. Memorial Park Cem., Co. Bluffs.
• Phipps, Louis C., SN 3180449, US Navy - b. 8 Dec 1930; s/o Carroll Wilfred Phipps & Sarah Arlene Colwell; enlisted 19 Feb 1948; d. 6 Aug 1951 at Moffett Field, Santa Clara Co., CA; bur. Cedar Lawn Cem., Co. Bluffs.
• Pierson, Lawrence E., US Navy - b. 2 Jan 1930 Co. Bluffs; s/o Leo Dallas Pierson & Eva Umble; enlisted 1948; d. at home on leave 3 Jul 1950; bur. Memorial Park Cem., Co. Bluffs.

Part 6D - Died in the Vietnam War, belong in the Veteran's Plaza Vietnam section:

• Leighton, Earl L., SN B608294, USN - b. 22 Oct 1937 Colorado; s/o Ellsworth Sherbeck Leighton & Erma Gertrude Kirby; enlisted ~ 1957 from Omaha; d. 17 Jan 1969 Bien Hoa, Dong Hai, Vietnam; bur. Cedar Lawn Cem., Co. Bluffs.
• Schickner, Bernard E. - SSN 485-54-3089, US Army;  b. 10 Feb '45;  entered service 3 Jan '66, released 16 Dec '68; d. 4 Apr '72; bur. Hardin Twp. Cem. SE of McClelland, IA. 
• Schmidt, Howard D. This is Dale Howard Schmidt, 1947-1968, who died in Vietnam, and who also appears in the Veterans Plaza Vietnam section as Dale H. Schmidt. There is a memorial to Dale on the grounds of the Twisted Tail restaurant in Beebeetown, Iowa erected by his friend, Eddie Spencer.

Sources for the WW II Dead - Outliers webpage:

• The webpage header photo, Ruby Smith Grave, Macedonia, Iowa, is courtesy of findagrave.com.