Arthur John Burkhart was born March 23, 1914, in LaSalle county, Illinois, to John Robert and Bertha Offergeld Burkhart. Both John and Bertha had been raised on Chartres street in LaSalle, also known as Airport road, and only lived a little over a mile apart. They married on November 23, 1910, and throughout their marriage had a total of seven children of which Arthur was the second born. Arthur’s grandparents on his father’s side were Robert and Sophie Meisenbach Burkhart. Robert was a farmer who had arrived in American from Germany about 1873. In addition to Arthur’s father, Robert and…
Tag: WWII
T SG Anton John Budgen, Service Number 16079863
Anton John Budgen was born on April 29, 1915, to Stanley Alex and Mary Bacevich Budgen. When Anton was born, his father Stanley was working as a miner in a coal mine—a job he held throughout his life. Stanley had been born in 1881 in Lithuania and left his country around the turn of the century to travel to America. There he met his future wife, Mary Bacevich—a young lady who also left Lithuania for America. They married in St. Ann’s Parish in Spring Valley, Illinois, soon after Mary arrived in the U.S. Stanley and Mary’s first child was a…
2LT Robert S. Bartley, Service Number O-733512
Robert S. Bartloszewski was born on March 15, 1921, in LaSalle, Illinois. His parents were John G. and Helen Lisewski Bartloszewski. Robert’s father, John, was a cashier at the State Bank—a local financial institution located in downtown LaSalle. Both of his parents were born in Illinois—the children of Polish immigrants who left their homeland in the 1870s. However, Robert was never able to meet his paternal grandparents as they both died before he was born. And he most likely did not see his maternal grandparents much because they moved to Chicago before he was born as did many of his…
PFC John Frank Barsztaitis, Service Number 36002814
John Frank Barsztaitis was born on September 22, 1919, in LaSalle, Illinois, to Frank and Sophie Jozwiak Barsztaitis. His father, Frank, was born in Jurbakas, Lithuania, and left his country at age 25 to travel to America with his 17-year-old sister Petronnela. Their older brother, Izidor, had made the same journey not long before. Frank married Sophie on April 30, 1912—five years after arriving in America. Frank and Sophie had their first child, Emily, about a year or so after marrying. They had three more daughters before John was born in 1919. Prior to John’s birth, Frank had been working…
PFC Samuel Phillip Baratta, Service Number 36437817
Samuel Phillip Baratta reported he was born on April 14, 1922, in LaSalle, Illinois. His parents were Dominic and Grace Spalino Baratta. His birth certificate agrees he was born at home in LaSalle, but lists a birth date of August 14, 1922. Perhaps his birth was registered a few months after it occurred, and the person typing it up assumed the birth took place the same month it was reported. Sam was the last of nine children born to Dominic and Grace although at the time of Sam’s birth, three were no longer living. Dominic also had four other children…
T SG William Louis Aplington, Service No. 36765437
William Louis “Bill” Aplington, was born on May 11, 1925, to William J. and Elizabeth Lavanway Aplington, in LaSalle, Illinois. His father was a local attorney who had served in the Army in World War I. By the time Bill was 15, he had five brothers and three sisters. He and at least three of his brothers attended St. Bede Academy—a local Catholic high school. Bill was interested in music and joined his high school’s band becoming president his senior year. He was also successful in his studies having made the honor roll his sophomore year. Other activities he enjoyed…
S SG Gilbert Edward Amos, Service No. 36430298
Gilbert Edward Amos was born at home on October 22, 1921, in Peru, Illinois, to Edgar Robert and Bertha Wobrock Amos. Edgar, who was crippled since birth, worked as a bookkeeper at Vollmer Furniture Store—a local business owned by his mother’s family. Bertha also worked as a bookkeeper, but at L&B Wobrock—her family’s dry goods store in Peru. Throughout his life, Gilbert lived with and close to his extended family. In 1927, when Gilbert was six years old, his mother passed away. With his father apparently unable to care for him, his aunt and uncle, Lena and Fred Sibley, were…