Background:
As discussed previously in this blog, William Edward Dunn (WED) and his first wife had a daughter, Ella Dunn. After being widowed he married Josephine Barbara Lauer and they had eight children.
Previously in this blog I've written about what I've been able to find out about their eldest son, Stephen, and their second son, John (known as Jack). Their next two children were daughters Julia and Rosa, who died as children, and we have no other info about them.
They were followed by sons Eugene and Edward, who are covered elsewhere in this blog. The next son was Francis Anthony (known as Smiley), and this page covers what I've so far been able to learn about him.
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Here's his obituary:
Chicago Heights Star
12/10/1987
"[Funeral] Services were [held] yesterday for Francis A 'Smiley' Dunn, a lifelong Chicago Heights resident who died Saturday, December 5 in St. James Hospital medical center.
The Rev. John Doyle, pastor, offered mass at St. Liborius church in Steger. Burial was in Homewood Memorial Gardens cemetery.
Mr. Dunn was born November 10, 1903, in St. Genevieve, Mo. He was retired from woodworking for Caravelle Wood Products Inc.
He is survived by his wife, Edna; one daughter, Colleen Becker of Springfield, Va; one sister, Helen Wolf of Steger, and three grandchildren."
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From the 1910 census:
Being born in 1903, the first census in which he would have appeared is this one. Smiley's mother, Josephine Lauer Dunn, and the children lived in Crete, Illinois. Ella would have been 25 by this time, had married, become Ella Dawson, and was no longer in the household. Rosa and Julia had died, and three more children had been born.
WED had died in 1908 and the household looked like this:
Josephine Dunn, 39
Stephen C Dunn, 17, [illegible word] keeper at Steger Piano factory
John H Dunn, 15, custom finisher, also at Steger Piano factory
Eugene M Dunn, 11
Edward T Dunn, 9
Francis A Dunn, 6
Helen M Dunn, 2
♦♦♦
From the 1920 census:
The family was still living in Crete, and in the household with Josephine, 49, are:
John, 25, a foreman;
Edward, 19, machinist;
Francis,16, millwright;
Helen, 12, presumably still in school.
All three males work for the Steger Piano factory. From other records we know that Eugene married in 1917 and is no longer in the household.
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From Smiley's Social Security Death Index:
Name: Francis A. Dunn
SSN: 346-07-9396
Last Residence: Chicago Heights, Illinois
Born: 10 Nov 1903
Died: 5 Dec 1987
I couldn't find a draft registration for him, nor could I find him in the 1930 census. I will continue to research, but this surprises me, for as you can see above, he was recorded for 1910 and 1920 and was still living in the same area. It would be interesting to know more about him, so I will see what more I can learn and will update this page when I do so.
Last updated 5/17/09
5/15/09
Edward T Dunn, Son of William E Dunn
Background
William Edward Dunn (WED) and his first wife had a daughter, Ella Dunn. After being widowed, he married Josephine Barbara Lauer and they had eight children.
Previously in this blog I've discussed what I've learned about their eldest son, Stephen, and their second son, John, known as Jack. Their next two children were daughters Julia and Rosa, who died as children, reportedly of scarlet fever. They were followed by Eugene, who is also discussed elsewhere in this blog. That brings us to their next son, Edward T Dunn. This page is about him.
William Edward Dunn (WED) and his first wife had a daughter, Ella Dunn. After being widowed, he married Josephine Barbara Lauer and they had eight children.
Previously in this blog I've discussed what I've learned about their eldest son, Stephen, and their second son, John, known as Jack. Their next two children were daughters Julia and Rosa, who died as children, reportedly of scarlet fever. They were followed by Eugene, who is also discussed elsewhere in this blog. That brings us to their next son, Edward T Dunn. This page is about him.
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To start, here's his obituary:
Chicago Heights Star
2/9/1975
"A funeral mass for Edward t Dunn, 30 Mckinley, Steger, was celebrated yesterday in St. Liborius church. The Rev. John Doyle officiated. Burial was in St. James cemetery in Sauk Village.
Mr. Dunn. who died Thursday at St. James hospital, was born January 22nd, 1901 in Chicago, and spent most of his life in the south suburbs. He was formerly personnel manager of the Steger Furniture company.
He is survived by a sister, Mrs. Helen Wolf of Steger and a brother, Francis, of Chicago Heights."
From what is reported above, it appears that he was a lifelong bachelor, since neither a wife nor children are mentioned as survivors. The Steger Furniture company is discussed in detail on Stephen C Dunn's page of this blog.
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From the 1910 census:
Being born in 1901, the first census in which he would have appeared is this one. The widowed Josephine Lauer Dunn and the children now lived in Crete, Illinois. Ella would have been 25 by this time, had married, become Ella Dawson, and was no longer in the household. Rosa and Julia had died, and three more children had been born.
WED had died in 1908 and the household looked like this:
Josephine Dunn, 39
Stephen C Dunn, 17, [illegible word] keeper at Steger Piano factory
John H Dunn, 15, custom finisher, also at the piano factory
Eugene M Dunn, 11
Edward T Dunn, 9
Francis A Dunn, 6
Helen M Dunn, 2
♦♦♦
From the 1920 census:
The family was still living in Crete, and in the household with Josephine, 49, are:
John, 25, a foreman;
Edward, 19, machinist;
Francis,16, millwright;
Helen, 12, presumably still in school.
All three males work for the Steger Piano factory. From other records we know that Eugene married in 1917 and is no longer in the household.
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From Edward's Social Security Death Index
Name: Edward Dunn
SSN: 343-05-2802
Last Residence: Steger, Illinois, United States of America
Born: 22 Jan 1901
Died: Feb 1975
I couldn't find a WWI draft registration for him, which may be because he was too young to be eligible for the draft, for the war ended in 1918 when he'd have been just 17 years old. Nor could I find him in the 1930 census. This surprises me, for as you can see above, he was recorded for 1910 and 1920 and was still living in the same area.
It would be interesting to know more about him, especially about how he spent his later years.
Last updated 5/16/09
5/14/09
Stephen C Dunn, Son of William Edward Dunn
Stephen C Dunn: From Factory Worker to Company Owner
William Edward Dunn (WED) and his first wife had a daughter, Ella. After being widowed, he married Josephine Barbara Lauer and they had eight more children. Their eldest son was Stephen C Dunn, and this page is about him; it's a success story from this generation.
First, Stephen's Obituary
Chicago Heights Star
8/16/1938
"Death Claims Stephen Dunn; Funeral Today
Funeral services will be held today for Stephen Dunn, well known Steger businessman, who died at his home, 3418 Halsted street, Steger, Saturday afternoon following a lengthy illness. He was 48 years old.
Mr. Dunn had been taken to his home about a month ago from St. James hospital, where he had been for two months. Previous to that he underwent treatment at a Chicago hospital. Many friends and business associates in Chicago Heights and Steger were grieved to learn of his death.
A former superintendent of the Steger Piano company during its operation, Mr. Dunn for the past six years was a partner with Vincent Trabucco in the Steger Furniture factory. Mr. Dunn was born in St. Genevieve, Mo., and had lived in Steger for the past twenty-five years.
Survivors are the wife, Mrs. Louise [Seiter] Dunn, and four children, Leonard, Jennie, Aurelia and Stephen, all of Steger.
Friends will pay final respects at funeral services at ten o’clock this mornlng in St. Liborius church, Steger. The Rev. M. P. Weidner, pastor, will officiate. Interment will be made in St. James cemetery, Strassburg."
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From the 1900 census:
The family lived in Chicago, Illinois. The household was made up as follows:
William Dunn, 38, R.R. track foreman
Josephine Dunn, 29
Ella Dunn, 15, nurse girl
Stephen Dunn, 7
John Dunn, 5
Rosa Dunn, 4
Julia Dunn, 3
Eugene Dunn, 1
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From the 1910 census:
The family now lived in Crete, Illinois. Ella would have been 25 by this time, had married, become Ella Dawson, and was no longer in the household. Rosa and Julia had died of scarlet fever, and three more sons had been born. WED had died in 1908 and the household looked like this:
Josephine Dunn, 39
Stephen C Dunn, 17, occupation appears to be "stock keeper", but could be book keeper; worked at the piano factory.
John H Dunn, 15, custom finisher, worked at the piano factory.
Eugene M Dunn, 11
Edward T Dunn, 9
Francis A Dunn, 6
Helen M Dunn, 2
♦♦♦
From Stephen's WWI Draft Registration:
Date: June 5, 1917
Name: Stephen C Dunn
Age: 26
Address: Steger, Illinois
Date of birth: 16 December, 1892
Occupation: (illegible)
Employer: Steger & Sons [piano factory]
Exempt from the draft: Yes, had wife and child
♦♦♦
From the 1920 census:
By this time Stephen had married and his young family now lived in Crete. Here's his household at that time:
Stephen Dunn, 27, foreman, piano factory
Louise Dunn, 33
Leonard Dunn, 3
♦♦♦
From the 1930 census:
His family had now moved to Steger and the household looked like this:
Stephen Dunn, 38, superintendent, radio factory
Louise Dunn, 42
Leonard Dunn, 13
Genevieve Dunn, 7
Aurelia Dunn, 6
Stephen Dunn, 3
♦♦♦
About the Steger & Sons Piano Manufacturing Company
Several members of Stephen's generation of our family worked for the Steger Piano Company, and an Internet search turned up some interesting information about it. The company was formed in the days before radios became household items, an era when pianos were a primary source of household entertainment. This excerpt of an article about the company touches on that issue:
"[John] Steger worked at a series of different jobs and lived in various households where he noticed that the most prominent piece of household furniture was a piano. In the booming post-Civil War United States, the piano was not merely a musical instrument but a status symbol, sole purveyor of entertainment to thousands of homes. Built by a master craftsman and his apprentices, the ornate piece of decorative furniture was expensive. Thus, although in great demand, only the wealthy could afford them. Steger's dream was to make the piano affordable for everyone through mass production."
Mr. Steger - who emigrated to the U.S. from Germany in 1871- was highly successful in this piano manufacturing endeavor, and became a multi-millionaire. When he died his estate was valued at $3 milliion dollars. In 1916! Adjusted for inflation, that's the equivalent of more than $59 million in 2008 dollars. In building his success he recruited German craftsmen, developed assembly-line manufacturing of pianos and designed special railcars for shipping them. By 1920, the village of Steger was the "piano capital of the world," producing more than 100 pianos a day.
Another article says this about the company:
"Steger died in 1916 at the height of his prominence and popularity and at the pinnacle of his company's prosperity. He was spared from experiencing consumer whim-switching from the piano to the newfangled contraption, the radio. No longer the most sought after household item, demand for the mass-produced piano dwindled away. Sales plummeted, and ten years later, Steger's grand dream suffered the marketplace's deathblow. Steger and Sons Piano Manufacturing Company declared bankruptcy in 1926."
♦♦♦
About the Steger Furniture Manufacturing Company
As the popularity of radios effectively killed the mass market for pianos, radios began to dominate the home entertainmet market. The resulting demand for radio cabinets led to the formation of what became known as the Steger Furniture Company. Here's an excerpt from an article about that:
"After Steger's death in 1916, the factories continued until closing in 1926. Having depended on one major manufacturer, the village was particularly vulnerable during the Great Depression. However, the remarkable collection of buildings continued to be a key employment center. In 1930 a macaroni factory started in one of the old buildings, and several years later local craftsmen joined together to manufacture radio cabinets in another. At its height of activity, their Steger Furniture Company employed close to 700."
After seeing that article I ran across a website containing a lot of Steger history and photos, and there I found this article:
It would have been a huge challenge to start a business during that period. However, their ability to grow their new business to the point of employing hundreds of workers suggests that they saw the business of making wooden cabinets as the wave of the future as the country moved into the age of electronics. Why would they have made radios with wooden cabinets? According to the research I've done, plastic didn't come into its own until after World War II.
The result of their vision - and timing - was a high level of success. We have a snapshot - made into a postcard - of Stephen and his wife Louise, along with his brother John and his wife Ruth - both successful businessmen - who, in the midst of the Great Depression were prosperous enough to afford an Alaskan cruise on a pleasure ship. The ship was the S.S. Dellwood and on John's page of this blog you will find some interesting things we've learned about that ship.
As to the company itself, in 1945 Steger Furniture Company was acquired by the publicly-held Sparton Corporation to manufacture cabinets for the radio and radio-phonographs that had become the mainstay of the Sparton product line.
Last updated 5/18/09
William Edward Dunn (WED) and his first wife had a daughter, Ella. After being widowed, he married Josephine Barbara Lauer and they had eight more children. Their eldest son was Stephen C Dunn, and this page is about him; it's a success story from this generation.
First, Stephen's Obituary
Chicago Heights Star
8/16/1938
"Death Claims Stephen Dunn; Funeral Today
Funeral services will be held today for Stephen Dunn, well known Steger businessman, who died at his home, 3418 Halsted street, Steger, Saturday afternoon following a lengthy illness. He was 48 years old.
Mr. Dunn had been taken to his home about a month ago from St. James hospital, where he had been for two months. Previous to that he underwent treatment at a Chicago hospital. Many friends and business associates in Chicago Heights and Steger were grieved to learn of his death.
A former superintendent of the Steger Piano company during its operation, Mr. Dunn for the past six years was a partner with Vincent Trabucco in the Steger Furniture factory. Mr. Dunn was born in St. Genevieve, Mo., and had lived in Steger for the past twenty-five years.
Survivors are the wife, Mrs. Louise [Seiter] Dunn, and four children, Leonard, Jennie, Aurelia and Stephen, all of Steger.
Friends will pay final respects at funeral services at ten o’clock this mornlng in St. Liborius church, Steger. The Rev. M. P. Weidner, pastor, will officiate. Interment will be made in St. James cemetery, Strassburg."
♦♦♦
From the 1900 census:
The family lived in Chicago, Illinois. The household was made up as follows:
William Dunn, 38, R.R. track foreman
Josephine Dunn, 29
Ella Dunn, 15, nurse girl
Stephen Dunn, 7
John Dunn, 5
Rosa Dunn, 4
Julia Dunn, 3
Eugene Dunn, 1
♦♦♦
From the 1910 census:
The family now lived in Crete, Illinois. Ella would have been 25 by this time, had married, become Ella Dawson, and was no longer in the household. Rosa and Julia had died of scarlet fever, and three more sons had been born. WED had died in 1908 and the household looked like this:
Josephine Dunn, 39
Stephen C Dunn, 17, occupation appears to be "stock keeper", but could be book keeper; worked at the piano factory.
John H Dunn, 15, custom finisher, worked at the piano factory.
Eugene M Dunn, 11
Edward T Dunn, 9
Francis A Dunn, 6
Helen M Dunn, 2
♦♦♦
From Stephen's WWI Draft Registration:
Date: June 5, 1917
Name: Stephen C Dunn
Age: 26
Address: Steger, Illinois
Date of birth: 16 December, 1892
Occupation: (illegible)
Employer: Steger & Sons [piano factory]
Exempt from the draft: Yes, had wife and child
♦♦♦
From the 1920 census:
By this time Stephen had married and his young family now lived in Crete. Here's his household at that time:
Stephen Dunn, 27, foreman, piano factory
Louise Dunn, 33
Leonard Dunn, 3
♦♦♦
From the 1930 census:
His family had now moved to Steger and the household looked like this:
Stephen Dunn, 38, superintendent, radio factory
Louise Dunn, 42
Leonard Dunn, 13
Genevieve Dunn, 7
Aurelia Dunn, 6
Stephen Dunn, 3
♦♦♦
About the Steger & Sons Piano Manufacturing Company
Several members of Stephen's generation of our family worked for the Steger Piano Company, and an Internet search turned up some interesting information about it. The company was formed in the days before radios became household items, an era when pianos were a primary source of household entertainment. This excerpt of an article about the company touches on that issue:
"[John] Steger worked at a series of different jobs and lived in various households where he noticed that the most prominent piece of household furniture was a piano. In the booming post-Civil War United States, the piano was not merely a musical instrument but a status symbol, sole purveyor of entertainment to thousands of homes. Built by a master craftsman and his apprentices, the ornate piece of decorative furniture was expensive. Thus, although in great demand, only the wealthy could afford them. Steger's dream was to make the piano affordable for everyone through mass production."
Mr. Steger - who emigrated to the U.S. from Germany in 1871- was highly successful in this piano manufacturing endeavor, and became a multi-millionaire. When he died his estate was valued at $3 milliion dollars. In 1916! Adjusted for inflation, that's the equivalent of more than $59 million in 2008 dollars. In building his success he recruited German craftsmen, developed assembly-line manufacturing of pianos and designed special railcars for shipping them. By 1920, the village of Steger was the "piano capital of the world," producing more than 100 pianos a day.
Another article says this about the company:
"Steger died in 1916 at the height of his prominence and popularity and at the pinnacle of his company's prosperity. He was spared from experiencing consumer whim-switching from the piano to the newfangled contraption, the radio. No longer the most sought after household item, demand for the mass-produced piano dwindled away. Sales plummeted, and ten years later, Steger's grand dream suffered the marketplace's deathblow. Steger and Sons Piano Manufacturing Company declared bankruptcy in 1926."
♦♦♦
About the Steger Furniture Manufacturing Company
As the popularity of radios effectively killed the mass market for pianos, radios began to dominate the home entertainmet market. The resulting demand for radio cabinets led to the formation of what became known as the Steger Furniture Company. Here's an excerpt from an article about that:
"After Steger's death in 1916, the factories continued until closing in 1926. Having depended on one major manufacturer, the village was particularly vulnerable during the Great Depression. However, the remarkable collection of buildings continued to be a key employment center. In 1930 a macaroni factory started in one of the old buildings, and several years later local craftsmen joined together to manufacture radio cabinets in another. At its height of activity, their Steger Furniture Company employed close to 700."
After seeing that article I ran across a website containing a lot of Steger history and photos, and there I found this article:
"Old Steger Piano Factory Home to Steger Furniture and Others
By Emil Zeman
In 1932 a business that was later to be known as Steger Furniture Company had its modest beginning in the old Steger Cafeteria building located on the southwest corner of 33rd place and Chicago Road. With just a handful of workers this business began to produce wooden cabinets for table model radios.
In late 1933 a group of four men, Vince Trabucco, James Sperti, Steve Dunn and Frank Schaefer (the first three individuals were Steger residents) acquired the Steger Piano Company property that had been vacant for several years. These four men founded Steger Furniture Company and developed it into a prosperous enterprise.
In 1934 the cabinet shop was moved from the cafeteria site to the new location. The new site was the three-story structure on East 34th St. located just west of the old C & E I railrosd tracks that had been a part of the Steger Piano factory.
In 1935 this same company started production of console-type radio cabinets began (sic) in another part of this huge complex. Later, cabinets for Hi-Fi units, record players and TVs were part of the production line. In peak years as many as 700 workers were employed by Steger Furniture, producing well over 100,000 large cabinets plus many thousands of small cabinets in the 34th Street plant."
The dates in the above article coincide with Stephen's 1938 obituary, for it says he and his partner had owned the business for six years. So, it was 1932 when Stephen and his partners started the Steger Furniture Company. This would have been during the height of the Great Depression, which began in 1929.It would have been a huge challenge to start a business during that period. However, their ability to grow their new business to the point of employing hundreds of workers suggests that they saw the business of making wooden cabinets as the wave of the future as the country moved into the age of electronics. Why would they have made radios with wooden cabinets? According to the research I've done, plastic didn't come into its own until after World War II.
The result of their vision - and timing - was a high level of success. We have a snapshot - made into a postcard - of Stephen and his wife Louise, along with his brother John and his wife Ruth - both successful businessmen - who, in the midst of the Great Depression were prosperous enough to afford an Alaskan cruise on a pleasure ship. The ship was the S.S. Dellwood and on John's page of this blog you will find some interesting things we've learned about that ship.
As to the company itself, in 1945 Steger Furniture Company was acquired by the publicly-held Sparton Corporation to manufacture cabinets for the radio and radio-phonographs that had become the mainstay of the Sparton product line.
Last updated 5/18/09
5/12/09
Leo Peter Dunn, Grandson of Michael Dunn
Some editorial comments about Leo Peter Dunn's life are included at the bottom of this page. To get started, however, I will simply recount the data I've learned about him.Descendancy Chart: Pierce Dunn to Leo P Dunn
Pierce Dunn:He was farmer in Ireland. The evidence we have suggests he emigrated to England in the mid 1800s as a result of the potato blight and resulting famine in Ireland, probably with his son Michael.
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Michael Dunn and Bridget Grace Dunn:
He went from being a laborer in Ireland to becoming a farmer in Illinois. They emigrated from Ireland to England, and then to the U.S. in 1858. They settled in Illinois.
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Peter L Dunn and Ellen Morris Dunn:
He was Michael and Bridget's eldest son, and was born in England. It seems likely he became a farmer, and he moved from Illinois to Washington state to Kansas during his lifetime.
▼
Leo Peter Dunn and Ruth Irene (unknown maiden name):
He is first recorded as being a farm hand. Later records show him as an auto repairman and then an auto salesman. He moved from Washington to Kansas to California during his lifetime.
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Here are the facts we have about him from various sources.
From the 1900 federal census:
The family was living in Garfield, Washington. Leo was age 5, Peter was 42 (recorded as born in England) and Ellen was age 45 (born in Illinois). Leo’s year of birth is shown as 1894, which differs from other records showing it as 1893.
This census shows Peter’s father [Michael] as being born in Scotland and his mother [Bridget] being born in Ireland. However, other records show both parents being born in Ireland. Ellen’s parents are both shown as being born in Ireland.
Peter’s occupation is not shown in this census, but the neighbors are all farmers, which suggests that he was as well. It records Peter as having emigrated in 1859, but his parents emigrated in 1858, and we believe he was with them at that time. Ellen is recorded as being the mother of eight children, with only four still living.
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From Leo’s 1917-18 WWI Draft Registration:■ Name: Leo P Dunn, age 23;
■ Address: RR 1, Culver, Kansas;
■ Date of birth: October 24th, 1983;
■ Born in Garfield, Washington;
■ Occupation: Farm hand;
■ Employer: Walter Selleck, RR 1, Culver, Kansas;
■ He claimed an exemption from the draft because he had a wife;
■ Previous military service: 2 years as a private in the Coast Artillery, Massachusetts.
(See the footnote at the bottom of this page for information about the Coast Artillery)
♦♦♦From the 1920 federal census:
The family was living in Richland, Labette County, Kansas.
■ Leo's mother, Ellen, age 64, was the head of the household;
■ Leo was listed as Peter L Dunn, age 26, son. (It appears
this is a reversal of his first and middle names in this record);
■ His occupation was shown as auto repairman at a garage;
■ Ruth, Leo’s wife, age 22, was listed as daughter-in-law;
■ Peter F was listed as grandson.
♦♦♦
From the 1925 Kansas census:
The family was living in Parsons, Labette County, Kansas.
■ Leo P, age 31, was the head of the household;
■ His occupation was listed as auto salesman;
■ Ruth I, wife, was age 27;
■ Children listed were Peter F, age 7, and Frank L, age 3.
♦♦♦
From the California Death Index:
■ It shows Leo’s mother’s maiden name as Lyons, which is inconsistent with other information showing her maiden name as Morris;
■ It shows his Social Security number as 530-03-5058;
■ His date of birth: 23 Oct, 1893;
■ His date of death was 4 Dec, 1942, in Los Angeles.
♦♦♦
From his granddaughter, Carla Myers Busby:
Leo Peter had two sons.
■ Peter Frederick – born Dec. 10,1917
He had four children. Evelyn, Donald, Ruth Irene, Ronald Eugene.
■ Franklin Leonard Dunn (Myers) – born April 25,1922
He had three children. Larry Franklin, Leonard Blaine, and Carla Gail.
♦♦♦
As noted previously in this blog, I was able to connect with this branch of our family after posting an inquiry on a genealogy message board - which led to my becoming acquainted with a very helpful gal by the name of Kate. I was looking for information about Michael and Bridget Grace Dunn, and Kate knew of someone else who was also looking for them.
That person was Carla, and Kate linked us up. It turned out that Carla is my generation's long-lost second cousin, and she has been working on her family history for many years. She provided most of the information we have on this branch of the family tree.
Early in my dialogue with her I related to Carla the story of my search for my generation’s grandfather, Eugene Michael Dunn. I also told her that he seemed to have disappeared after abandoning his wife, Hazel Nolan Dunn, and two small children, William Edward (Bill) and Rita Jane Dunn, sometime after Rita was born in 1928.
In response, I received the following from her:
"Hey Pat!
We must be related! My grandfather, Leo Peter Dunn, also abandoned his wife and 2 small sons in 1924. My father had no use for the man, and Dad always said, 'I wouldn't recognize him if I saw him and I sure wouldn't walk across the street to shake his hand.'
My grandmother, Ruth Irene Dunn, remarried and my father took his stepfather's last name. I never met the Dunn side of the family, I heard bits and pieces growing up and I should mention that what information I did hear was not flattering.
During a visit with a Great-Aunt, she showed me a picture of my grandfather, a wedding certificate and an excerpt from my grandmother's diary. That started my search, from just those few items.
I was told my grandfather died in a car wreck in Colorado during WWII. I spent at least 10 years looking for that man!
Surfing the Web one evening, I came across his name in the California Death Index. Thru an 'Act of Genealogical Kindness' I received a copy of his Death Certificate. He died of TB in Los Angeles, in 1942.
He claimed no family, and no family claimed him. Instead of a simple burial, his body was used for medical research. Over the past 5 years, information about him has trickled in. I've discovered he was a 'Con Man.' He married one woman, told her he had never been married, never had children and his parents were dead. Then he stole her car, sold it and disappeared. The general family consensus is - being used for medical research, he may possibly have contributed something positive - finally...."
So there you have it. Both Leo Peter and Eugene Michael Dunn - grandsons of Michael and Bridget Grace Dunn - abandoned their wives and small children in the 1920s. We'll bever know why, but it seems very strange to me.
♦♦♦
Footnote about the Massachusetts Coast Artillery:
Never having heard of the Coast Artillery, I did a bit of research and found the info below. Bottom line: The Massachusetts Coast Artillery was a volunteer militia dating back to 1784, and was a precursor to what we now know as the National Guard.
From a book titled, "The Old First Massachusetts Coast Artillery in War and Peace" comes this excerpt:
"...Who was then sufficiently far-sighted to foresee that on June 30, 1916, the same company would take the Federal oath as the '1st Company, Coast Artillery Corps, National Guard of Massachusetts' ? A company in those days was commanded by a captain with the rank of Major; and this office was promptly conferred upon John Jones Spooner. Jonathan Warner became the 'Captain-lieutenant,' and Joseph Pierpont and John Swift were elected the other two lieutenants, as at that time authorized. Warrants were issued to four sergeants; four musicians were appointed, twenty-four men were detailed as cannoneers, eight as pioneers, three as drivers and when two brass four-pounder cannon had been issued to them, the Roxbury Artillery were ready for any kind of a fight or frolic. It was not to be until Aug. 30, 1849, that Gen. H. A. S. Dearborn would suggest the famous motto now borne by the Company, 'In time of peace prepare for war.' No one can question however but that the sentiment of the motto has always controlled 1st Company activities."
The portion of the book I read says the Coast Artillery became largely ceremonial at some point - called upon for parades and such - but was reactivated as a military force in 1916, as cited above. The timing was undoubtedly a result of the fact that what became known as World War I was underway in Europe. In 1916 the U.S. was not yet involved in the war, but the looming possibility of U.S. involvement - which occurred in 1917 - must have triggered the reactivation.The book from which the above excerpt comes can be read online by clicking here. To turn the pages forward or back, click on the right or left page of the book as it appears on the monitor. Clicking on the "+" sign at the top of the page enlarges the print and allows for scrolling the pages.
Last updated 5/13/09
5/9/09
Franklin L [Dunn] Myers, Great Grandson of Michael Dunn
Frank Myers Was the Recipient of a Purple Heart
For Being Wounded During Combat in World War II
Background
Franklin Leonard Myers is the great grandson of Michael and Bridget Grace Dunn. According to a “Cousin Calculator” I found online, that makes him my generation’s 2nd Cousin 1 x removed. “1 x removed” refers to the fact that an extra generation separates my generation from our GG grandfather Michael Dunn as compared to Frank.
Frank is cousin Carla Myers Busby’s father, and in writing about him Carla told me, “…he lives in Wichita, Kansas. He is a retired plumber, having operated his own business for several years.”
As noted previously in this blog, I was able to connect with this branch of our family after posting an inquiry on a genealogy message board - which led to my becoming acquainted with a very helpful gal by the name of Kate. I was looking for information about Michael and Bridget Grace Dunn, and Kate knew of someone else who was also looking for them. That person was Carla, and Kate linked us up.
It turned out that Carla is my generation's long-lost second cousin, also 1 x removed, and she has been working on her family history for many years. She provided most of the information on this page.
Peter L Dunn and Leo Peter Dunn
Peter L Dunn was the eldest son of Michael and Bridget Dunn and was Carla’s great grandfather. Early in my dialogue with her I related to Carla the story of my search for my generation’s grandfather, Eugene Michael Dunn. I also told her that he seemed to have disappeared after abandoning his wife, Hazel Nolan Dunn, and two small children, William Edward (Bill) and Rita Jane Dunn, sometime after Rita was born in 1928. In response, I received the following from her:
"Hey Pat!
We must be related!
My grandfather, Leo Peter Dunn, also abandoned his wife and 2 small sons in 1924. My father had no use for the man, and Dad always said, 'I wouldn't recognize him if I saw him and I sure wouldn't walk across the street to shake his hand.'
My grandmother, Ruth Irene Dunn, remarried and my father took his stepfather's last name. I never met the Dunn side of the family, I heard bits and pieces growing up and I should mention that what information I did hear was not flattering.
During a visit with a Great-Aunt, she showed me a picture of my grandfather, a wedding certificate and an excerpt from my grandmother's diary. That started my search, from just those few items.
I was told my grandfather died in a car wreck in Colorado during WWII. I spent at least 10 years looking for that man! Surfing the Web one evening, I came across his name in the California Death Index. Thru an 'Act of Genealogical Kindness' I received a copy of his Death Certificate. He died of TB in Los Angeles, in 1942.
He claimed no family, and no family claimed him. Instead of a simple burial, his body was used for medical research.
Over the past 5 years, information about him has trickled in. I've discovered he was a 'Con Man.' He married one woman, told her he had never been married, never had children and his parents were dead. Then he stole her car, sold it and disappeared. The general family consensus is - being used for medical research, he may possibly have contributed something positive - finally...."
♦♦♦
The story above about Leo Dunn is included on this page because it explains something that would otherwise be confusing in understanding Frank Myers’ story. Although Carla’s father Frank was born a Dunn, his name became Myers - and her maiden name was Myers, although she’s also a Dunn via her biological ancestry.
The relevance of all this will become apparent when you read the essay below about Frank Myers and his experiences during World War II, which Carla sent in response to my request for info about family members who have served in the military.
She proudly sent photos and the essay, and in sending them she said, “My father, Franklin L. (Dunn) Myers, served during WWII. He was in the Army, serving under General George Patton. Franklin L. (Dunn) Myers is the grandson of Peter L. Dunn, [and is] the great grandson of Michael and Bridget Grace Dunn.”
She also said, “A few years ago my son, Brian, did a special report on his Grandfather's military service. I am including it with a few pictures of my father during that time. In earlier conversations with you, you expressed a great interest in family lore. Please indulge a proud daughter and mother with her collection of memories!”
I asked Carla for permission to share the story about her father’s name change from Dunn to Myers, and she said, “Yes, you have my permission to [tell] the Dunn/Myers family information. It has been confusing to say the least, hopefully this will help explain our situation.”
She added, “I recently spoke with my father, Frank, and explained that I have been in contact with the Dunn Family. He is very interested and somewhat amazed by it all. He recently turned 86 and is in very frail health. I have been keeping him abreast of our progress on the research and he made the comment, ‘After 84 years, sounds like they might be pretty nice after all.’ I have to totally agree!”
♦♦♦
About the Essay
Included below is what may be the most profoundly valuable story I’ve encountered so far in the process of assembling our Family History.
It’s the essay written by Frank Myers' grandson, Brian, as a school assignment. It's about a member of our family who was awarded a Purple Heart after being wounded in combat during World War II. He was also one of the soldiers involved in the liberation of prisoners in Nazi Germany, including those in the infamous Buchenwald concentration camp.
Thank you, Carla, for your willingness to share this story; I am incredibly grateful to learn about your dad - and the contributions he made to our freedom from Hitler's tyranny. Without his efforts - and those of the many others who served - who knows how many more millions of people would have been exterminated by the Nazis? It boggles my mind to contemplate what might have occurred if the U.S. had not won that horrible war.
♦♦♦
Serving In Patton's Third Army
My Grandfather’s Memories
By Brian Busby
For the past several weeks, our American History class has been studying World War II. We have read our textbooks [and] watched “Schindler’s List”, but the most interesting has been the personal accounts by several Veterans who visited our class.
I chose to do my writing project on my grandfather’s personal experiences during this time. My grandfather can tell a story about every person he has met, he’s a very talkative guy, but when it comes to WWII, he doesn’t say much about his experiences, more often than not, when asked about them, he will reply “I’ve tried to forget all that.”
After the events of September 11, [2001] there was a slight chance that I could be drafted. I realized that I was near the same age as my grandfather when he was drafted in 1941. Approximately 60 years later, I could face what he had endured. Just knowing what little I did, I wanted to know more, I wanted him to share with me. My parents over the years had pieced together information about Grandpa’s military service. With their notes, stories, online research and a very long phone conversation with my grandfather, I learned more than I could ever imagine.
Franklin Myers was 19 when WWII broke out. A Kansas farm boy, with a young son, he was drafted and started Army Basic Training in 1941. He was stationed at several Army bases: Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where one of his duties was butchering sheep; Camp Blanding, Florida; Camp Robinson, Arkansas; Fort Rooker, Alabama; Fort Belvore, Virginia, where he attended school; Fort Benning, Georgia, where he attended a Specialist School in Mechanics.
At Fort Benning, he was assigned to Patton’s 2nd Armored Division. After undergoing training in Tanks and other armored vehicles, he was sent to Camp Shanks, New York. He shipped out from there on a troop transport, late 1942, headed for North Africa.
His voyage across the Atlantic was not very pleasant. His ship carried 300 to 400 men, all of whom were seasick most of the trip. They were heading to North Africa to join Patton’s 3rd Army Western Task Force. Off the coast of Spain/ Portugal, in the Strait of Gibraltar, the troop transport was torpedoed and destroyed. Out of the 300 to 400 men, only 80 survived. The survivors of the transport were picked up by a destroyer and taken to North Africa where they joined Patton’s troops.
Patton swept North Africa while the British Commander Montgomery swept Egypt and forced the Germans to retreat. Grandpa relates a story about being in his foxhole late at night. The French Moroccan soldiers were known for quietly sneaking into the American’s foxholes. They were American allies, so they posed no threat. They dressed all in black and they were never seen or heard until suddenly their knife was at your throat. The Moroccan soldier would whisper “Joe?” After quickly assuring them that they were GIs, the Moroccan soldier would cut themselves, drawing blood then sheath their knife, then ask for a cigarette. They would cup their hands around the burning end of the cigarette so the glow wouldn’t give away their position.
After serving 45 days in North Africa, Grandpa’s outfit headed for Sicily. He left from either Tunisia or Algiers. The Invasion of Sicily was in June 1943. Patton’s 3rd Army pushed the Germans out of Sicily. The battle lasted over 13 days.
Patton’s troops were then sent to England. For 18 months, they trained for D-Day. Grandpa was a PFC, Private First Class, with the credentials of Mechanic/ Truck Driver and Demolitionist. He spent a lot of time roaming the English countryside at this time, where he actually met General Patton during one of his little escapades.
Grandpa and a fellow soldier had “commandeered” a “Cherry picker” and had parked it underneath a Cherry tree, breaking off branches and eating the ripe cherries. Several military vehicles proceed to their location and suddenly stop. Stepping out of one of the vehicles is General Patton. He walked over to Grandpa, looked at the Cherry Picker, looked at the soldier breaking off branches and said, “Well boys, looks like you found a good use for that Cherry Picker, that’s probably the only thing that damn thing is good for!” Then, to Grandpa’s relief and great surprise, Patton said, “While you’re up there, break me off some of those damn cherries!”
On June 6, 1944, the D-Day Invasion began. Patton’s troops landed at Ingram Beach. Grandpa will not talk about D-Day. He tells of seeing things that he’d rather not talk about. After watching the movie, “Saving Private Ryan,” I think I understand his reasons not to relive his memories.
In the fall of 1944, Grandpa went to France. There he was involved with the Breakthrough at Saint-Lo. Grandpa’s tank was blown up during this time. There is a picture, published in the Stars and Stripes military newspaper, of his burning tank sitting on a hillside at sunset at Saint-Lo. Shortly thereafter, Grandpa was in a jeep that was hit by a mortar round. As he was jumping to safety, he was hit by shrapnel and wounded. [For this] He received the Purple Heart.
After recovering from his wounds, he next was involved in the Battle of the Bulge, driving the Germans out of France. He was in Belgium, Luxembourg and in March 1945, they crossed the Rhine into Germany. At this time, his outfit started coming across Concentration Camps. Patton’s 3rd Army liberated two smaller camps, then in April of 1945, they liberated Buchenwald. [Some photos of Buchenwald can be seen here.]
Grandpa speaks of the prisoners grabbing, hugging, crying and thanking him. He spoke of the horrendous physical condition of the prisoners and of the terrible smell of the camp.
Buchenwald Concentration Camp was built between 1935 and 1937. It was one of the first camps and was a model for all the others. There were “state-of-art torture” and “scientific studies” facilities, as well as the gas chambers and crematoriums. Estimates claim possibly 100,000 prisoners died there. When Patton’s troops liberated Buchenwald, they found pile of ashes, bodies stacked like cord wood, flatbed wagons full of bodies, waiting to be incinerated, and the ovens still burning bodies.
Grandpa was then stationed at Victor Red Camp outside of Berlin. He was there when V.E. Day* was declared in May 1945. He was then sent to Marseilles, France, where he boarded a ship to come home.
Grandpa was discharged in 1946. He served 5 years, most of it in combat. He speaks of serving under General George Patton, one of the most celebrated Generals in American History. Grandpa still respects Patton and was proud to be associated with him.
I’m very proud of my Grandfather. I now realize that at a very young age, in serving his country, he faced and survived quite a lot.
♦♦♦
■ *V.E. Day = Victory in Europe Day, which marked the surrender of Germany and the end of the war in Europe. However, the war continued in the Pacific theatre until August of 1945.
■ For more on General Patton, click this link.
■ For an understanding of the significance of the Purple Heart, see this site: Purple Heart
■ Here's some info about finances in the era when Frank Myers was discharged from the Army. In 1946 a gallon of milk cost 70¢, a loaf of bread cost 10¢, a new car sold for $1,400, a gallon of gas cost 16¢, and a new house sold for $12,638. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was about 177 and the average wage earner in 1946 earned $2,390 per year.
Last updated 5/11/09
For Being Wounded During Combat in World War II
Background
Franklin Leonard Myers is the great grandson of Michael and Bridget Grace Dunn. According to a “Cousin Calculator” I found online, that makes him my generation’s 2nd Cousin 1 x removed. “1 x removed” refers to the fact that an extra generation separates my generation from our GG grandfather Michael Dunn as compared to Frank.
Frank is cousin Carla Myers Busby’s father, and in writing about him Carla told me, “…he lives in Wichita, Kansas. He is a retired plumber, having operated his own business for several years.”
As noted previously in this blog, I was able to connect with this branch of our family after posting an inquiry on a genealogy message board - which led to my becoming acquainted with a very helpful gal by the name of Kate. I was looking for information about Michael and Bridget Grace Dunn, and Kate knew of someone else who was also looking for them. That person was Carla, and Kate linked us up.
It turned out that Carla is my generation's long-lost second cousin, also 1 x removed, and she has been working on her family history for many years. She provided most of the information on this page.
Peter L Dunn and Leo Peter Dunn
Peter L Dunn was the eldest son of Michael and Bridget Dunn and was Carla’s great grandfather. Early in my dialogue with her I related to Carla the story of my search for my generation’s grandfather, Eugene Michael Dunn. I also told her that he seemed to have disappeared after abandoning his wife, Hazel Nolan Dunn, and two small children, William Edward (Bill) and Rita Jane Dunn, sometime after Rita was born in 1928. In response, I received the following from her:
"Hey Pat!
We must be related!
My grandfather, Leo Peter Dunn, also abandoned his wife and 2 small sons in 1924. My father had no use for the man, and Dad always said, 'I wouldn't recognize him if I saw him and I sure wouldn't walk across the street to shake his hand.'
My grandmother, Ruth Irene Dunn, remarried and my father took his stepfather's last name. I never met the Dunn side of the family, I heard bits and pieces growing up and I should mention that what information I did hear was not flattering.
During a visit with a Great-Aunt, she showed me a picture of my grandfather, a wedding certificate and an excerpt from my grandmother's diary. That started my search, from just those few items.
I was told my grandfather died in a car wreck in Colorado during WWII. I spent at least 10 years looking for that man! Surfing the Web one evening, I came across his name in the California Death Index. Thru an 'Act of Genealogical Kindness' I received a copy of his Death Certificate. He died of TB in Los Angeles, in 1942.
He claimed no family, and no family claimed him. Instead of a simple burial, his body was used for medical research.
Over the past 5 years, information about him has trickled in. I've discovered he was a 'Con Man.' He married one woman, told her he had never been married, never had children and his parents were dead. Then he stole her car, sold it and disappeared. The general family consensus is - being used for medical research, he may possibly have contributed something positive - finally...."
♦♦♦
The story above about Leo Dunn is included on this page because it explains something that would otherwise be confusing in understanding Frank Myers’ story. Although Carla’s father Frank was born a Dunn, his name became Myers - and her maiden name was Myers, although she’s also a Dunn via her biological ancestry.
The relevance of all this will become apparent when you read the essay below about Frank Myers and his experiences during World War II, which Carla sent in response to my request for info about family members who have served in the military.
She proudly sent photos and the essay, and in sending them she said, “My father, Franklin L. (Dunn) Myers, served during WWII. He was in the Army, serving under General George Patton. Franklin L. (Dunn) Myers is the grandson of Peter L. Dunn, [and is] the great grandson of Michael and Bridget Grace Dunn.”
She also said, “A few years ago my son, Brian, did a special report on his Grandfather's military service. I am including it with a few pictures of my father during that time. In earlier conversations with you, you expressed a great interest in family lore. Please indulge a proud daughter and mother with her collection of memories!”
I asked Carla for permission to share the story about her father’s name change from Dunn to Myers, and she said, “Yes, you have my permission to [tell] the Dunn/Myers family information. It has been confusing to say the least, hopefully this will help explain our situation.”
She added, “I recently spoke with my father, Frank, and explained that I have been in contact with the Dunn Family. He is very interested and somewhat amazed by it all. He recently turned 86 and is in very frail health. I have been keeping him abreast of our progress on the research and he made the comment, ‘After 84 years, sounds like they might be pretty nice after all.’ I have to totally agree!”
♦♦♦
About the Essay
Included below is what may be the most profoundly valuable story I’ve encountered so far in the process of assembling our Family History.
It’s the essay written by Frank Myers' grandson, Brian, as a school assignment. It's about a member of our family who was awarded a Purple Heart after being wounded in combat during World War II. He was also one of the soldiers involved in the liberation of prisoners in Nazi Germany, including those in the infamous Buchenwald concentration camp.
Thank you, Carla, for your willingness to share this story; I am incredibly grateful to learn about your dad - and the contributions he made to our freedom from Hitler's tyranny. Without his efforts - and those of the many others who served - who knows how many more millions of people would have been exterminated by the Nazis? It boggles my mind to contemplate what might have occurred if the U.S. had not won that horrible war.
♦♦♦
Serving In Patton's Third Army
My Grandfather’s Memories
By Brian Busby
For the past several weeks, our American History class has been studying World War II. We have read our textbooks [and] watched “Schindler’s List”, but the most interesting has been the personal accounts by several Veterans who visited our class.
I chose to do my writing project on my grandfather’s personal experiences during this time. My grandfather can tell a story about every person he has met, he’s a very talkative guy, but when it comes to WWII, he doesn’t say much about his experiences, more often than not, when asked about them, he will reply “I’ve tried to forget all that.”
After the events of September 11, [2001] there was a slight chance that I could be drafted. I realized that I was near the same age as my grandfather when he was drafted in 1941. Approximately 60 years later, I could face what he had endured. Just knowing what little I did, I wanted to know more, I wanted him to share with me. My parents over the years had pieced together information about Grandpa’s military service. With their notes, stories, online research and a very long phone conversation with my grandfather, I learned more than I could ever imagine.
Franklin Myers was 19 when WWII broke out. A Kansas farm boy, with a young son, he was drafted and started Army Basic Training in 1941. He was stationed at several Army bases: Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where one of his duties was butchering sheep; Camp Blanding, Florida; Camp Robinson, Arkansas; Fort Rooker, Alabama; Fort Belvore, Virginia, where he attended school; Fort Benning, Georgia, where he attended a Specialist School in Mechanics.
At Fort Benning, he was assigned to Patton’s 2nd Armored Division. After undergoing training in Tanks and other armored vehicles, he was sent to Camp Shanks, New York. He shipped out from there on a troop transport, late 1942, headed for North Africa.
His voyage across the Atlantic was not very pleasant. His ship carried 300 to 400 men, all of whom were seasick most of the trip. They were heading to North Africa to join Patton’s 3rd Army Western Task Force. Off the coast of Spain/ Portugal, in the Strait of Gibraltar, the troop transport was torpedoed and destroyed. Out of the 300 to 400 men, only 80 survived. The survivors of the transport were picked up by a destroyer and taken to North Africa where they joined Patton’s troops.
Patton swept North Africa while the British Commander Montgomery swept Egypt and forced the Germans to retreat. Grandpa relates a story about being in his foxhole late at night. The French Moroccan soldiers were known for quietly sneaking into the American’s foxholes. They were American allies, so they posed no threat. They dressed all in black and they were never seen or heard until suddenly their knife was at your throat. The Moroccan soldier would whisper “Joe?” After quickly assuring them that they were GIs, the Moroccan soldier would cut themselves, drawing blood then sheath their knife, then ask for a cigarette. They would cup their hands around the burning end of the cigarette so the glow wouldn’t give away their position.
After serving 45 days in North Africa, Grandpa’s outfit headed for Sicily. He left from either Tunisia or Algiers. The Invasion of Sicily was in June 1943. Patton’s 3rd Army pushed the Germans out of Sicily. The battle lasted over 13 days.
Patton’s troops were then sent to England. For 18 months, they trained for D-Day. Grandpa was a PFC, Private First Class, with the credentials of Mechanic/ Truck Driver and Demolitionist. He spent a lot of time roaming the English countryside at this time, where he actually met General Patton during one of his little escapades.
Grandpa and a fellow soldier had “commandeered” a “Cherry picker” and had parked it underneath a Cherry tree, breaking off branches and eating the ripe cherries. Several military vehicles proceed to their location and suddenly stop. Stepping out of one of the vehicles is General Patton. He walked over to Grandpa, looked at the Cherry Picker, looked at the soldier breaking off branches and said, “Well boys, looks like you found a good use for that Cherry Picker, that’s probably the only thing that damn thing is good for!” Then, to Grandpa’s relief and great surprise, Patton said, “While you’re up there, break me off some of those damn cherries!”
On June 6, 1944, the D-Day Invasion began. Patton’s troops landed at Ingram Beach. Grandpa will not talk about D-Day. He tells of seeing things that he’d rather not talk about. After watching the movie, “Saving Private Ryan,” I think I understand his reasons not to relive his memories.
In the fall of 1944, Grandpa went to France. There he was involved with the Breakthrough at Saint-Lo. Grandpa’s tank was blown up during this time. There is a picture, published in the Stars and Stripes military newspaper, of his burning tank sitting on a hillside at sunset at Saint-Lo. Shortly thereafter, Grandpa was in a jeep that was hit by a mortar round. As he was jumping to safety, he was hit by shrapnel and wounded. [For this] He received the Purple Heart.
After recovering from his wounds, he next was involved in the Battle of the Bulge, driving the Germans out of France. He was in Belgium, Luxembourg and in March 1945, they crossed the Rhine into Germany. At this time, his outfit started coming across Concentration Camps. Patton’s 3rd Army liberated two smaller camps, then in April of 1945, they liberated Buchenwald. [Some photos of Buchenwald can be seen here.]
Grandpa speaks of the prisoners grabbing, hugging, crying and thanking him. He spoke of the horrendous physical condition of the prisoners and of the terrible smell of the camp.
Buchenwald Concentration Camp was built between 1935 and 1937. It was one of the first camps and was a model for all the others. There were “state-of-art torture” and “scientific studies” facilities, as well as the gas chambers and crematoriums. Estimates claim possibly 100,000 prisoners died there. When Patton’s troops liberated Buchenwald, they found pile of ashes, bodies stacked like cord wood, flatbed wagons full of bodies, waiting to be incinerated, and the ovens still burning bodies.
Grandpa was then stationed at Victor Red Camp outside of Berlin. He was there when V.E. Day* was declared in May 1945. He was then sent to Marseilles, France, where he boarded a ship to come home.
Grandpa was discharged in 1946. He served 5 years, most of it in combat. He speaks of serving under General George Patton, one of the most celebrated Generals in American History. Grandpa still respects Patton and was proud to be associated with him.
I’m very proud of my Grandfather. I now realize that at a very young age, in serving his country, he faced and survived quite a lot.
♦♦♦
■ *V.E. Day = Victory in Europe Day, which marked the surrender of Germany and the end of the war in Europe. However, the war continued in the Pacific theatre until August of 1945.
■ For more on General Patton, click this link.
■ For an understanding of the significance of the Purple Heart, see this site: Purple Heart
■ Here's some info about finances in the era when Frank Myers was discharged from the Army. In 1946 a gallon of milk cost 70¢, a loaf of bread cost 10¢, a new car sold for $1,400, a gallon of gas cost 16¢, and a new house sold for $12,638. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was about 177 and the average wage earner in 1946 earned $2,390 per year.
Last updated 5/11/09
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