Person Page

     Perla Elisabeth Singley was born on 5 August 1877 in Hazleton, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania (Social Security records say Ringtown, Schuylkill Co., Pennsylvania).^5,6 She married first Robert M. Seiwell on 18 September 1895 at the English Lutheran parsonage in Hazleton.^7,1 She married second Howard William Town, son of Otis Oren Town and Jennie L. Sowle, probably about 1937.^2,1,8 She died on 26 August 1973 at the Liberty Nursing Center in Allentown, Lehigh Co., Pennsylvania, at age 96.⁶ She was buried at Odd Fellows Cemetery in Tamaqua, Schuylkill Co., Pennsylvania.⁹
     In the 1936-37 city directory for Allentown, Lehigh Co., Pennsylvania, she is listed as Perla Seiwell, the widow of Robt. H., at 25 N. 14th St.¹⁰ She and her second husband Howard were living at 220 Ida Street in Berwick, Columbia Co., Pennsylvania, on 27 April 1942³, and at 530 High St. in Bethlehem, Northampton Co., Pennsylvania, from at least 1947 to 1949.¹¹ When Howard died in 1966 they were living at 728 North 7th St. in Allentown.²
     She and her first husband Robert had the following known children: Howard, Ethyl E., Alta, Arnom.¹

     Otis Oren Town was born on 13 March 1854 in Marion Twp., Livingston Co., Michigan, according to his obituary. The record of his marriage to Jennie Sowle. and his death certificate, say he was born in Brighton, Livingston Co., Michigan, while the record of his second marriage, to Dora Nye, says he was born in Kent Co., Michigan. It's possible he was actually born in Cascade, Kent Co., Michigan, since according to his father William's obituary the family didn't move to Marion Twp. until 1856.^2,6,7,5,4 He was married first, by A. T. Hoyt, Pastor of the M. E. Church, to Jennie L. Sowle, daughter of Eli L. Sowle and Mary Jane (?), on 28 August 1877 in Brighton, Livingston Co., Michigan. The witnesses were the bride's sister Margaret McHench and her husband W. J. McHench, both of Brighton.⁶ He was married second, by E. Randall, to Dora Elizabeth Nye, daughter of Wm. Nye, on 27 June 1899 in Flint, Genesee Co., Michigan.^5,8 He died from respiratory failure on 15 March 1937 at age 83, after suffering a stroke two months earlier, at his stepdaughter Mrs. Ethel Wilson's home at 1913 Olive Ave. in Flint, Genesee Co., Michigan, where he had spent the winter.^7,2,9 He was buried on 17 March 1937 at Highland Cemetery in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana. Funeral arrangements were handled by the L. H. Orvis chapel.²
     His last name was sometimes spelled as Towne.²
     In 1880 he and his first wife Jenny were living with his father William in Brighton, Livingston Co., Michigan.¹⁰ On 6 March 1886, about a week after his father's death, he and Jennie sold land described as village lots 231, 232, 152, 153, 196, 197, 186, 187, and 93, all on McPherson's Addition in Brighton Twp., Livingston Co., Michigan, to his sister Frances for $500.¹¹ At the time, they were living in Remus, Mecosta Co., Michigan.¹¹ They lived in Webberville, Ingham Co., Michigan, from at least September 1887, when Jennie's father Eli Sowle's will was probated, to October 1895, when Jennie died there.^12,13,14
     He received $274.66 in the settlement of his father William Town's estate on 2 August 1888.³
     In 1900 he and his second wife Dora were living at Oxford House on Kearsley St., in Flint, Genesee Co., Michigan, along with their children Howard, Lucile, and Russel, and Dora's daughter Ethel Smith by her previous marriage. They had one servant and 17 boarders.¹⁵
     He and Dora moved to South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana, in 1903^2,8, where they boarded for a time at 529 N. Scott St.¹⁶ They lived at 421 W. LaSalle Ave. in South Bend from at least 1905 to 1906¹⁷, and at 1130 Michigan Ave. from at least 1908 to 1910. They had two boarders in 1910.^18,19 They were living at 1323 Michigan Ave. in 1912²⁰, and at 215 N. Main in 1916.²¹ From at least 1918 to 1921 they lived at 406 S. Lafayette St. Living with them in 1920 were their son Forbes (age 18), Otis's aunt Viola Town (age 63, born in Michigan), niece Leila M. Town (age 20, born in Colorado), and two lodgers.^22,23,24 For some period of time in 1930 they lived with their son Forbes' family at 737 27th in South Bend.²⁵
     They soon moved back to Michigan, however, where they are listed twice in the 1930 census. Between 2 and 11 April they were enumerated at 409 W. Court in Flint, Genesee Co., Michigan, in a house they were renting for $35/month, and on 26 April they were enumerated in Portage Twp., Kalamazoo Co., Michigan, living with their nephew Fordyce Wiley's family.^26,27 In 1931 they were living at 1441 Indiana Ave. in Flint.²⁸
     At the time of Dora's death on 3 February 1935, they were again living with their son Forbes' family, at 927 S. 23rd St. in South Bend.^8,29 Otis continued to live with Forbes' family in South Bend after his wife's death, at 614 Carroll in 1936³⁰, and then at 778 Lincoln Way East.^2,31
     In 1877, at the time of his first marriage to Jennie Sowle, his occupation was given as merchant.⁶ In 1888 he was working as a railroad and express agent in Webberville, Ingham Co., Michigan.¹³ From 1903 to 1924 he worked as a telegraph operator for the Michigan Central Railroad in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana.^2,32,33

     Lucile F. Town was born in May 1890 (her birthdate as listed on her marriage license application is 26 April, and the year is smudged and difficult to decipher, but appears to be 1891) in Webberville, Ingham Co., Michigan.^1,2 She was married by Henry L. Davis to Lee A. Cook, son of Harry R. Cook and Mary A. Allen, on 3 May 1909 in St. Joseph Co., Indiana.⁴
     Before her marriage, she worked as a domestic servant and seamstress⁵, and was living in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana.¹ In 1910 she and her husband Lee were living in Flint, Genesee Co., Michigan. Her brother Russel Town was living with them.⁶ By 1918 they had moved to Detroit, Wayne Co., Michigan.⁷ They are listed there in the 1920 census, with their daughters Carroll and Irene.⁸ They are again listed there in 1930, again with their daughters Carroll and Irene. Also listed in their household is a granddaughter, Elizabeth Maloney, presumably Carroll's daughter.⁹ Lucile, at least, was still there in 1937.³

     Lee A. Cook was born on 11 July 1887 in Owosso, Shiawassee Co., Michigan.³ He was married by Henry L. Davis to Lucile F. Town, daughter of Otis Oren Town and Jennie L. Sowle, on 3 May 1909 in St. Joseph Co., Indiana.¹
     At the time of his marriage Lee A. Cook was living in Flint, Genesee Co., Michigan.³ He was a painter.³ In 1910 he and his wife Lucile were living in Flint, Genesee Co., Michigan. Lucile's brother Russel Town was living with them.² By 1918 they had moved to Detroit, Wayne Co., Michigan.⁴ They are listed there in the 1920 census, with their daughters Carroll and Irene. He was working as a painter in an automobile shop.⁵ They are again listed there in 1930, again with their daughters Carroll and Irene. Also listed in their household is a granddaughter, Elizabeth Maloney, presumably Carroll's daughter. He was then working in a paint shop.⁶

     Forbes Kenneth Town was born on 3 July 1901 in Flint, Genesee Co., Michigan.^1,2,3 He married first Kathleen Bernice Searles, daughter of Lee D. Searles and Ada Nation, on 8 May 1922 at the Congregational Church in St. Joseph, Berrien Co., Michigan.^4,7 Kathleen filed for divorce on 4 December 1946 in St. Joseph Co., Indiana, and the divorce was granted on 23 April 1948.⁸ He married second Eileen Margaret Hofmann, daughter of William T. Hofmann and Ethel Pearl Day, on 26 September 1948 in Niles, Berrien Co., Michigan.⁹ Eileen filed for divorce on 8 June 1951 in St. Joseph Co., Indiana, granted on 19 October 1951.¹⁰ He was married third, by Glen F. Lowry, Justice of the Peace, to Ruth Jane Ringle, daughter of Ezadore S. Ringle and Elva J. Eaton, on 17 April 1964 in St. Joseph Co., Indiana.^11,12 His death certificate lists him as being divorced, indicating that either he and his third wife Ruth later divorced, or he married again after Ruth's death in 1969, and that marriage ended in divorce.² He died on 28 May 1980 at the Ridgedale Nursing Home in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana, at age 78 after a long illness.^2,3 He was cremated, and buried on 30 May 1980 at Riverview Cemetery in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana. Funeral arrangements were handled by the Welsheimer Funeral Home.³
     He lived in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana, most of his life.³ He and his first wife Kathleen lived at 737 S. 27th St. in South Bend from 1928 to 1934^13,14, at 927 S. 23rd St. in 1935¹⁵, at 614 Carroll in 1936¹⁶, at 778 Lincolnway East in 1937¹⁷, at 935 S. 28th St. from 1938 to 1941^18,19, and at 741 S. 29th St. from 1942 to 1947.²⁰ His parents Otis and Dora Town lived with them during at least parts of 1930 and 1935²¹, and Otis continued living with them after Dora's death, until his own death in 1937.^16,5 From at least 1954 to 1960 he lived at 302 E. Wayne in South Bend²², and at the time of his death in 1980 he was living at 2126 Lathrop in South Bend.³
     He was a rate clerk for the New York Central Railroad in South Bend his entire working career, from 1921 to 1966.^3,23,2

     Dora Elizabeth Nye was born on 5 March 1862 in Le Roy, Osceola Co., Michigan, (or Ingham Co., Michigan, according to the record of her marriage to Otis Town).^3,2,1 She married first (?) Smith.¹ She was married second, by E. Randall, to Otis Oren Town, son of William M. Town and Mary L. Forbes, on 27 June 1899 in Flint, Genesee Co., Michigan.^1,2 She died on 3 February 1935 at her home in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana, at age 72 from colon cancer. She had been ill for several years.^3,2 She was buried on 6 February 1935 at Highland Cemetery in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana.²
     In 1900 she and her second husband Otis were living at Oxford House on Kearsley St., in Flint, Genesee Co., Michigan, along with their children Howard, Lucile, and Russel, and Dora's daughter Ethel Smith by her previous marriage. They had one servant and 17 boarders.⁴
     She and Otis moved to South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana, in 1903^5,2, where they boarded for a time at 529 N. Scott St.⁶ They lived at 421 W. LaSalle Ave. in South Bend from at least 1905 to 1906⁷, and at 1130 Michigan Ave. from at least 1908 to 1910. They had two boarders in 1910.^8,9 They were living at 1323 Michigan Ave. in 1912¹⁰, and at 215 N. Main in 1916.¹¹ From at least 1918 to 1921 they lived at 406 S. Lafayette St. Living with them in 1920 were their son Forbes (age 18), Otis's aunt Viola Town (age 63, born in Michigan), niece Leila M. Town (age 20, born in Colorado), and two lodgers.^12,13,14 For some period of time in 1930 they lived with their son Forbes' family at 737 27th in South Bend.¹⁵
     They soon moved back to Michigan, however, where they are listed twice in the 1930 census. Between 2 and 11 April they were enumerated at 409 W. Court in Flint, Genesee Co., Michigan, in a house they were renting for $35/month, and on 26 April they were enumerated in Portage Twp., Kalamazoo Co., Michigan, living with their nephew Fordyce Wiley's family.^16,17 In 1931 they were living at 1441 Indiana Ave. in Flint.¹⁸
     At the time of Dora's death on 3 February 1935, they were again living with their son Forbes' family, at 927 S. 23rd St. in South Bend.^2,19
     She had four children, two of them living in 1910.⁹ According to her obituary, she had a sister named Alice Harvey living in Whitemore Lake, Washtenaw Co., Michigan.²

     Edward Howard Towne was born on 7 February 1913 in Pontiac, Oakland Co., Michigan.^1,2 He died on 5 February 1939 at Epworth (now Memorial) Hospital in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana, at age 25 from cancer (Kaposi's sarcoma).^2,1 He was buried on 7 February 1939 at Highland Cemetery in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana.^1,2
     He lived in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana, with his father Howard and brother Clarence, from 1919 until his death in 1939.^1,3,4 He worked with his brothers Otis and Clarence at the Grand Trunk Terminal Warehouse in South Bend from at least 1934 to 1939.⁵

     Edward Nicholas Dion was born on 15 December 1902 in Elyria, Lorain Co., Ohio.^5,6 He married first Erbella Harris on 17 November 1920 in Niles, Berrien Co., Michigan.⁷ They apparently divorced, since Edward was later remarried. There's a divorce record for them in St. Joseph Co., Indiana, filed on 23 January 1922, but listed as dismissed on 26 March 1923.⁸ He married second Alice Hudson on 5 May 1925 in Lake Co., Indiana.⁹ He married third Bernice Patulski on 1 June 1929 in St. Joseph Co., Indiana.³ They were divorced on 18 March 1931 in Manistee Co., Michigan.¹⁰ He married fourth Jessie Mae Phillips, daughter of William N. Phillips and Phoebe Artman, on 4 January 1932 in Porter Co., Indiana.⁴ They were divorced on 24 March 1942 in St. Joseph Co., Indiana.¹¹ He married fifth Rose Larocco on 18 July 1942 in St. Joseph Co., Indiana.¹² He died on 29 March 1975 at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana, at age 72 from a ruptured aorta.¹ He was buried on 1 April 1975 at Highland Cemetery in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana.¹
     He and his third wife Bernice are listed in the 1930 census living with his brother George's family, at 730 S. Camden St. in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana.¹³
     He and his fourth wife Jessie are listed in the South Bend city directory at 311 Ohio in 1932¹⁴, at 1727 Franklin in 1933¹⁵, at 848 Rush in 1934¹⁶, and at 806 S. Fellows from 1935 to 1939.¹⁷ He was in the trucking business in 1930 and 1934, and worked as a laborer from at least 1936 to 1940.^18,13,19 They are listed together in the 1940 census, along with Jessie's daughter Betty Town, on Sherdian St. in South Bend.¹⁹
     He served in the Army during World War II, enlisting as a Private on 14 November 1942 in Toledo, Lucas Co., Ohio.²⁰ At the time he was 5 ' 9 " tall, and weighed 182 pounds.²⁰
     After the war, he worked as a delivery man for Garnitz Furniture Co. in 1945-46, and later joined the Freeman-Spicer car dealership, where he spent much of the rest of his working life.^21,1
     At the time of his death, he and his fifth wife Rose were living at 931 S. 23rd St. in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana.¹

     Otis William Towne was born on 22 October 1904 in Pontiac, Oakland Co., Michigan.^3,1 He married Angela Nellie Storer on 10 May 1926 in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana.^3,4,5 He died on 16 August 1967 at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana, at age 62 after suffering a heart attack.^1,3 He was buried on 18 August 1967 at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park in Granger, St. Joseph Co., Indiana.^6,3
     After his marriage, he adopted (either formally or informally) his wife Nellie's three-year-old son Eugene.^2,7
     He and Nellie lived for a time on Millett Rd. in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana,⁸ then moved to Wilber St. in South Bend, where they lived at 1337 Wilber St. from 1929 to 1932⁹, and at 1325 Wilber St. from 1933 to 1935.¹⁰ They then moved to Granger, St. Joseph Co., Indiana, where they lived the rest of their lives.^11,2,3,12 They are listed with their children Eugene, Otis, and Reginald in the 1940 census in Clay Twp., St. Joseph Co., Indiana.¹³ After 1958, at least, they were living at 16512 State Rd. 23 in Granger.^14,3,12
     From 1925 to 1931 he worked as a truck driver, mostly for the Hollingsworth Turner Ice Cream Company¹⁵, but also for the O'Brien Varnish Co. in 1926¹⁶, and for the Grand Trunk Terminal Warehouse in 1932 and 1933.¹⁷ He continued with the Grand Trunk Terminal Warehouse from 1934 to 1939, working with his brothers Clarence and Edward, as a warehouseman, foreman, and superintendent.¹⁸ He then became owner of his own business, the Columbia Storage Warehouse in South Bend.^19,13,3
     He served as president of the Clay Twp. Lions Club, was a member of Council Oak Lodge #745 of the F. & A.M. in South Bend, and was a charter member of the Clay Twp. Volunteer Fire Dept.³

     Kenneth Luke Towne was born on 24 August 1908 in Pontiac, Oakland Co., Michigan.^3,4 He married Louise Whetstone, daughter of Henry Whetstone and Nona Brewer, in 1935.³ He died on 16 February 1980 at the VA Medical Center in Fort Wayne, Allen Co., Indiana, at age 71 from cancer.^4,3 He was buried on 19 February 1980 at Riverview Cemetery in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana.^3,4
     He served two terms in the U.S. Navy, first enlisting on 18 January 1926 at age 17, and being discharged on 23 August 1929. He re-enlisted about a year and a half later, on 9 April 1931, and was discharged on 23 January 1933.⁵
     He and his wife Louise lived in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana, most of their lives. They were at 743 Portage Ave. in 1936, 324 Franklin in 1937, 201 E. Marion in 1938, 1317 Wilber in 1939, 619 Johnson in 1940, 201 E. Woodside from 1941 to 1942, 907 Parkway from 1945 to 1949, and 814 S. Gladstone from at least 1953 to 1960.^6,7 They are listed at 201 Woodside in the 1940 census.⁸ At the time of his death in 1980 they were living at 823 Rynearson St. in Buchanan, Berrien Co., Michigan.³
     He was a driver for the South Bend Cab Co. from 1936 to 1941^9,8, then worked for Bendix Corp. in South Bend from at least 1942 to 1960, first as a shipping clerk, then as a factory worker.¹⁰
     On 18 November 1938, while working for the cab company, he and two other drivers from other cab companies were arrested for operating a taxi with a meter that charged more than allowed, under a city ordinance that had been amended about a month and a half earlier. The meters were set by the cab companies, not individual drivers, and the three men arrested were simply those who happened to be driving at the time city officials took cab rides to test the meters.¹¹ The cases were dismissed two weeks later.¹²
     He was a member of the Disabled American Veterans, Chapter 6, in South Bend.³

     Harrison Lee Towne was born on 20 March 1920 in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana.^1,3,4 He married Ann Stepp, daughter of Charles Rocco Stepp and Marjorie Ann Lareaux, on 2 November 1946 in St. Joseph Co., Indiana.⁵ He died on 18 April 1997 at his home in Kokomo, Howard Co., Indiana, at age 77 from gastro-intestinal bleeding.^6,4 He was buried on 23 April 1997 at Highland Cemetery in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana.⁶
     He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, enlisting at Fort Benjamin Harrison near Indianapolis on 11 March 1941.⁷ He was initially stationed at Camp Lee in Prince George Co., Virginia,⁸ then transferred to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, by April 1942.⁹ About June 1942 he was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia, to begin training as a paratrooper with the 507th Parachute Infantry.^10,11 He graduated about October 1942, and was transferred back to Fort Bragg.¹²
     In December 1943 the regiment was sent overseas to North Ireland and became part of the 82nd Airborne Division. They moved to Nottingham, England, in March 1944 in preparation for the D-Day invasion of Europe. In the early morning hours of 6 June they were part of Mission Boston, a nighttime drop along the west bank of the Merderet River (on the Cotentin peninsula, about five miles from Utah Beach). Due to cloud cover and German flak, many missed the designated drop zone, and they ended up scattered over a 20-mile area. Some ended up in the river and drowned. Many ended up joining whatever units they came across. After 33 days of continuous combat, during which the 507th lost 200 men, they returned to England by boat.
     Around August 1944 the 507th was transferred from the 82nd Airborne to the 17th Airborne. From 23-25 December 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge, they dropped into the Reims area in France. They moved to Neufchateau, Belgium, then through the snow to Morhet, arriving on 3 January 1945. They led attacks through Luxembourg as far as the Our River, before being relieved on 10 February and sent to a base camp at Chalons-sur-Marne in France.
     On 24 March 1945 Operation Varsity took place, the last and largest single-day airborne drop of the war. The 507th led the assault, parachuting into Germany three miles northwest of Wesel, along the southern edge of the Diersfordter Forest. The operation was a huge success, with all the German defenses eliminated within about 4 1/2 hours. The Division continued into the German interior, and on 10 April the 507th captured the city of Essen, where the Krupps Steel company was located.
     The war in Europe officially ended with Germany's surrender in May 1945, and the 507th was sent home to the U.S. in September.^13,14
     After the war Harrison worked for a time for his brother Otis at the Columbia Storage Warehouse in South Bend. In the City Directory he's listed as a driver in 1947, and as a warehouseman in 1951.¹⁵ But he apparently had difficulty readjusting to civilian life. He had a drinking problem, and was frequently in trouble with the law.
     On 15 March 1951 he was arrested for a 22 February break-in at the Golden Glaze doughnut shop, and another at Hill's Snappy Service restaurant. He took $8.50 from the doughnut shop, but no loss was reported from the restaurant. He pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary, requested a pre-sentence investigation, and was freed after posting a $1000 bond. On 27 June, after making restitution, he was placed on probation for two years, and a two-to-five year prison term was suspended.^16,17,18 Eighteen months later, on 16 December 1952, he was in court for violating the terms of his probation, including having "indulged in alcohol." He admitted to being an alcoholic, and asked for another chance, but the judge said he had no choice but to order him to serve his original two-to-five year term at the state prison in Michigan City.¹⁹ He was freed on parole in August 1954 after serving eighteen months.²⁰
     Late on 19 January 1957 he and LeRoy Boyer were arrested along US 20 near Michigan City after a high-speed chase. The car they were driving had been reported stolen in South Bend about two hours earlier, then spotted by Dunes Park State Police on Indiana Route 2, about six miles west of LaPorte. Police gave chase, but lost them. A roadblock was then set up on US 20, and a second chase began. Their car was forced off the road and into a ditch when rammed by a police cruiser. They "surrendered meekly," and were taken to the Porter County jail, then moved to the St. Joseph County jail.²¹ They were charged with auto theft on 22 January. They also admitted to two tavern burglaries in South Bend, stealing whiskey worth $188 from the 31 Club tavern on 2 December, and liquor worth $15 from the River Cafe Tavern on 25 December. They were only charged with auto theft. however, because the evidence was stronger.²² Harrison was sentenced on 24 January to a one-to-ten year prison term, declining a pre-sentence investigation. Boyer requested a pre-sentence investigation, and on 13 March was placed on probation for a year, with a one-to-ten year sentence suspended.^23,24
     On the night of 18 July 1961 two policemen on their way home saw him in front of the DeLuxe Sandwich Shop on N. Michigan in South Bend, and heard breaking glass. He ran off when they approached. They gave chase, firing first a warning shot, then a closer one, in the process. He then surrendered.²⁵ Three days later, on 21 July, he was sentenced to 30 days in jail and fined $65 after pleading guilty to malicious trespass. The original charge of burglary was dropped because there was no evidence that he entered the shop.²⁶
     A year later, on 26 July 1962, he was again sentenced to 30 days in jail and fined $65, this time for disorderly conduct. At the same time he was fined $115 with a six-month suspended sentence for assault and battery. The disorderly conduct charge came from an incident when he was being questioned about a claim by Everett Stewart that Harrison had hit him around 3:50 AM on 11 June. While being questioned at the Main Hotel where he was living, he fought with officers, was subdued, and brought to the police station where he continued "his unruly behavior" and bit a policeman. The assault charge stemmed from an arrest on 17 July, on a complaint filed by Leatrice Zook.²⁷
     Other, less serious, arrests included one on 18 February 1946 for speeding at almost 70 mph at 1:20 AM on US 31 near Cleveland Rd., for which he was fined $50, plus $10 costs²⁸; one for public intoxication, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct, for which he was fined a total of $20 on 8 June 1956²⁹; another for public intoxication and disorderly conduct, for which he was fined $35 in absentia on 17 June 1969³⁰; and one for driving while intoxicated in May 1974, for which he was fined $69, with a 60-day license suspension.³¹
     Except for his military service and his time in prison, all of the newspaper articles found on him indicate he lived in the South Bend area much of his life. However, his residence is given as California in his brother Otis's obituary (1967)³², and as Florida in the obituaries of his sister Ione (1969), brother Kenneth (1980), and brother Clarence (1984).^33,34,35 He was living in Kokomo, Howard Co., Indiana, just before his death in 1997.^36,6

More Information / Background

• 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment (United States)
  
• The 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment Unit History
  
• Mission Boston
  
• Battle of the Bulge
  
• Operation Varsity.
  

     Ione Elizabeth Town was born on 21 April 1907 in Pontiac, Oakland Co., Michigan.^5,6,2 She married Harry Roderick, son of Carl Roderick and Agnes Gerhart, on 24 September 1933 at the First Christian Church in Mishawaka, St. Joseph Co., Indiana.^7,5,2 She died on 15 February 1969 at her home in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana, at age 61 from heart disease.^2,5 She was buried on 18 February 1969 at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Osceola, St. Joseph Co., Indiana.^5,6
     She and Edward Pontarelli, son of George Pontarelli and Clara Giannini, had a son together, born as Edward Towne in Mishawaka, St. Joseph Co., Indiana, on 27 February 1929. Both her and Edward's mailing address is given as 121 1/2 Laporte Ave. in South Bend⁴, the same address listed for Ione's parents in the 1929 South Bend City Directory.⁸ She and Edward were unmarried, and their son was adopted by Lowell Walker and his wife Lottie. He is listed with them in the 1930 census with the name Nelson Edward Walker⁹, and the adoption and name change became official on 27 January 1931.¹⁰
     After their marriage she and her husband Harry lived for a time at 903 W. LaSalle in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana,¹¹ then at 1201 Oakland in South Bend.¹² They moved to 1723 N. Brookfield in South Bend about 1937, where they lived at least until Ione's death in 1969.^13,14,15,5
     She was hospitalized in Canada on 15 July 1962 due to a heart attack suffered while on vacation with her husband Harry and nephew Bruce.¹⁶

     Harry Roderick was born on 17 September 1911 in Logansport, Cass Co., Indiana.^1,2,3 He married first Ione Elizabeth Town, daughter of Howard William Town and Jessie Mae Phillips, on 24 September 1933 at the First Christian Church in Mishawaka, St. Joseph Co., Indiana.^4,5,6 He married second Cora Louise Wells on 7 March 1970 at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana. Their reception was at Randall's Inn, and they honeymooned in Florida, returning to South Bend on 22 March.^7,3,8 He died on 5 February 1977 at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana, at age 65 after suffering a heart attack.^2,3 He was buried on 8 February 1977 at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Osceola, St. Joseph Co., Indiana.^2,3
     After their marriage, Harry Roderick and his first wife Ione lived for a time at 903 W. LaSalle in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana,⁹ then at 1201 Oakland in South Bend.¹⁰ They moved to 1723 N. Brookfield in South Bend about 1937, where they lived at least until Ione's death in 1969.^11,12,13,5
     At the time of his death, he and his second wife Louise were living at 52691 Highland in South Bend.³
     He worked most of his career for Studebaker Corp. in South Bend, as a laborer in 1935, grinder from 1937 to 1939, jig maker in 1941, and tool maker from at least 1942 to 1960.¹⁴ He later worked as a tool maker for National Standard in Niles, Berrien Co., Michigan.³