Edward John Moriarity was born 17 September 1906, in LaSalle, Illinois, to Edward and Anna Hermanski Moriarity. When Edward was three years old, he and his family were living at 1669 Hennepin street in LaSalle. By that year in 1910 his parents had a total of six children: John, William, Viola, Harry, Edward, and Irene. The children ranged in ages from 4 months old to 14 years old. Edward Moriarity Sr. supported his family by working as a carpenter at the the LaSalle County Carbon Coal Company mine. When Edward was only a child, a few major events occurred over…
T/3 Charles Mlaker, Service Number 36013958
Charles Mlaker was born on 26 November 1919, in LaSalle, Illinois, to Frank and Johanna Bergles Mlakar. Frank was a carpenter who was originally from Stari trg, Austria. About 1905 he left his homeland to travel to America and several years after arriving filed a Declaration of Intention to become a citizen. Charles’ mother, Johanna, was also from Austria. She traveled to the United States with her mother and three siblings from her birthplace of Gornji Grad when she was seven years old. They arrived in New York in December 1900. Johanna’s father, Joseph Bergles, was already living in LaSalle,…
SGT William R. Merrick, Service Number 00466277
William R. “Bill” Merrick was born on 8 December 1920, in LaSalle, Illinois, to William J. and Estella McCormick Merrick. He was the couple’s second son; their older son Harold was born in 1915 about a year after they married in 1914. William’s family on both his mother’s and father’s side lived in the United States for generations. However all but his maternal grandmother passed away either before he was born or when he was a small child. William probably knew his maternal grandmother well because his family lived with her and her second husband at 300 Third street in…
TEC5 Jittie Mardirosian, Service no. 36062113
Jerair “Jittie” Mardirosian was born on 14 October 1917, in East St. Louis in Illinois to Charles and Ogheg Korkorian Mardirosian. Jittie was the couple’s youngest child; he had two older brothers: Harry, born in 1913 and Huddie born in 1914. Jittie’s father Charles, who was from Hediaz, Turkey, had left his country to come to the United States in 1905. Charles supported his family by working at a foundry in St. Clair county. Jittie’s mother, Ogheg, was from Armenia. She passed away at age 36 when Jittie was five years old. About six years after his wife died, Charles…
CPL Clarence Mallick, Service No. 339176
Clarence Mallick was born on 18 June 1924, to Vincent and Agnes Sieg Mallick. His parents were married in 1910 in Oglesby and already had four other children by the time Clarence was born. Clarence’s paternal grandparents were Nicolaus and Catharina Smolter Mallick—a couple who emigrated to LaSalle County in about 1870 from the Dębowo area in northwest Poland—a small community located about five miles northwest of Nakło. After arriving in the Illinois Valley, the Mallick family took up farming and had at least two more children one of whom was Clarence’s father Vincent. The Mallick farm was located about…
Ship’s Cook 2C Casimir Andrew Leszczynski Service No. 3010825
Casimir Andrew Leszczynski was born on 3 January 1925, in LaSalle, Illinois, to Andrew and Stella (Rydz) Leszczynski. Casimir was the eighth child born to the couple. At the time of his birth his family was living at 337 Buck street on the southeast side of LaSalle. His father, Andrew, was working at the zinc factory. Both of his parents and his oldest siter, Antoinette, were born in Poland. Andrew left Poland for the U.S. in 1912; he was 22 years old. His wife and Antoinette followed the next year; at the time, Stella was 21 and Antoinette was 18…
PFC John Tomazin Jr., Service No. 36297456
John Tomazin Jr. was born on 6 July 1916, to John and Frances Savric Tomazin. Both of John’s parents were born in what is now southeastern Slovenia—an area which was considered part of Austria when they left their homeland in the early 1900s for America. John’s mother Frances arrived in New York aboard the SS Alice with her mother Maria Savric on 27 August 1913. Traveling with them were Maria Savric—sister to Frances—and Elizabeth—two-year-old granddaughter to Frances’ mother Maria Savric; Frances was 28 years old when she made the journey. John Tomazin was born in 1880, possibly in Catez ob…
Seaman 2C Robert August Koehler, Service no. 9450770
Robert August Koehler was born on 28 September 1918, in Peru, Illinois, as both war and a flu pandemic were raging across the world. While the war would cease a month and a half after his birth, the pandemic would go on for another year. In the midst of this turmoil, Robert’s parents, August and Elsie Elizabeth (Pyka) Koehler, were raising Robert and his two older sisters Mildred and Gladys in a home they owned at 2315 Main street in southwest Peru. August Koehler was supporting his family by working as a buffer at Westclox—a local clock factory. Two years…
T/SGT Eugene Joseph Kieras, Service Number 36480578
Eugene “Gene” Joseph Kieras was born on 14 November 1924, in LaSalle, Illinois. He was the third child of John and Mary Theresa (Brzygot) Kieras. Their two older children were sons Stanley and Edward. Gene’s parents were both born in the area and married in LaSalle four years before his birth on 20 April 1920. After Gene, John and Mary Kieras had two more sons: Ernest and Raymond. Around the time Gene was born his family was living at 1220 Eight street in LaSalle, but they moved several times throughout his childhood. Their longest stay during his life was in…
PFC Eugene Joseph Kellner, Service No. 36690379
Eugene Joseph Kellner was born around 1922/1923 to Josephine Halasiak (aka Hallas). As a toddler, Eugene most likely lived on the east side of LaSalle at 508 Blackstone with his mother and grandparents Martin and Maggie Halasiak. Eugene’s grandfather Martin supported the family by working as a coal miner. Martin and his wife had married in 1891 and left Poland for America in 1892. They had at least nine children including Eugene’s mother Josephine. When Eugene was about three or four, his grandfather passed away in the summer of 1926. Around this same time, his mother Josephine married John V.…