I still remember the last World War I veteran I interviewed — 104-year-old Everett McKenney of Waterville and Farmingdale.
Now it’s the number of World War II veterans that is dwindling far too fast, making even more precious Pierre Dumont’s Paper Talks magazines, which the last couple of years have focused on WWII veterans.
Often these little vignettes feature the serviceman or woman’s photo, parents, hometown, spouse, children and occupations — quite a treasure-trove for genealogists and local historians.
Forty years ago, when I began living at Kennebec Hall on the University of Maine campus, the sight of a certain postman entering the lobby brought smiles to our faces.
“The mail’s here!” one or more of us would call out. “Here I am!” the Orono native would respond with a big grin.
I always remember Ronald C. Noyes when I see him, though I didn’t know then that he had been a radio operator on a ship in the Pacific, nor did I know that his brother, Albert, was a weatherman in the North Atlantic. They were the sons of Kenneth and Pauline (Currie) Noyes of Orono.
Philip A. Dunn Sr. of Milford, the son of Harris and Gertrude (Tremblay) Dunn, had some unusual experiences in the payroll department of the European Theater. It was his duty to pay fellow soldiers such as Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, Billy Conn, Mickey Rooney and Bobby Breen.
The first brother and sister known to have served from the Old Town area during WWII were Elias and Freda Maroon. Elias married Margaret Czintoka and then Elfrieda Wotlmann Lukach. Freda married Hubert Finn.
Donald S. Winslow and Wanda M. (Walters) Winslow were both radiomen in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
Winslow could copy Morse code at 65 words per minute while carrying on a conversation. Moreover, he could listen to two separate streams of code and keep them straight. He later was chief engineer of Maine Public Broadcasting.
Donald and Wanda’s children are Rodney, Barbara, Richard, Carol and Donald Winslow, former chief of police in Bangor.
One of the great photos in the 2009 Greater Bangor Edition of Paper Talks shows Victor H. Pooler Jr. in front of the Green Hornet. Pooler, a navigator, was the son of Victor Sr. and Mary Luosey Pooler of Brewer. He remains very much interested in World War II history.
Lewis K. Ellis, the son of Benjamin and Frances (Sanborn) Ellis of Brewer, trained to be a pilot, but with several others was demoted for flying “out of range” during training.
Consequently, Ellis was assigned to underwater demolition team No. 30, a duty he loved. Now he is recognized as one of the founding members of the Navy SEALS.
Four sons of Jasper and Marjorie (Libby) Goodwin of Levant served in the U.S. Army during World War II: Forest, Chalmers, Norman and Jesse. Norman and Forest received Purple Hearts.
Contributors to this issue of Paper Talks include Bangor Public Library, which maintains a book on Bangor natives: “Book of Honor, Bangor Remembers Her Sons Who Died for Victory, 1941-1945.”
The current magazine includes a photo and info for Guy “Dede” Marsh Jr., a radio gunner killed on his 31st bombing mission from Italy.
One of my favorite photos shows Joseph J. and Phyllis (Bailey) Hampel, renewing their marriage vows in 2004 on the 60th anniversary of their wedding — with Joe wearing the same white Navy uniform.
Another very nice picture shows brothers Clarence, James and Carroll Dyer together, sons of Sheridan and Dora (Betts) Dyer.
In the Bangor area, we certainly know the name Geaghan. Frank and Etta (Leach) Geaghan had four sons in the war — John, James, Bernard and Robert.
John mailed an engagement ring to his future wife, Arline Harvey. They and some of their 11 children established Geaghan’s Restaurant and Pub in 1975. Today it is run by Larry, Pat and Peter, while Chris runs the Whig & Courier.
Other families with several children in the war include Charles T. and Maud (Stewart) Strang of South Brewer, parents of Nelson, Charles, Wilbur, Ross and Tex; and George and Dorothy (Gerow) Chapman of Newburgh, parents of Harold, Clifton and Frank. Albert and Pearl (Robbins) Wellman of Winterport had sons Charles, Raymond and Graydon serving in World War II.
Bangor native Charles A. Flanagan, a private first class in the infantry, was killed in 1944 in Germany. He is buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Bangor, and the World War II Memorial at the Cole Land Transportation Museum at 405 Perry Road is based on him.
And then there’s Joseph Henry Ferguson, who served in the Army in World War I, and the Navy in World War II.
For information on Paper Talks, e-mail info@papertalks.com or leave a message at 862-4508.
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A potluck lunch will be held at noon Sunday, Aug. 2, to mark the 100th reunion of the Descendants of Jacob and Nancy McLellan.
The reunion will be held at the home of Allan and Barbara McLellan, Pine Tree Shore Road, Alexander, lovely Pocomoonshine Lake. For directions, call Karen Moraisey at 427-3369 or 214-9023.
The group is looking for descendants of Stephen and Grace Strout, Charles and Cora McLellan, James and Edith McLellan and Frank and Gertrude Noddin to help mark this special occasion.
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It’s time for the reunion of Hannan-Hannon, Morse, Lermond, Marriner, Boynton, Heal-Heald, friends, neighbors and relatives on Saturday, Aug. 8, in the backyard of Bob and Isabel (Morse) Maresh, 169 Howard Road, Belmont.
Bring a food item, chair, photos, genealogy, scrapbooks for copying and sharing, item for the miniauction and your relatives. For information, call 342-5208, e-mail mareshme@fairpoint.net or write the address above.
Send genealogy queries to Family Ties, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402; or e-mail queries to familyti@bangordailynews.net.
