The casualty toll of the war in Isabella county and surrounding community during 1944 is more than double the number of deaths in 1943.

Twenty two gave their lives, either on foreign soil or in the course of duty in the United States in 1944, where eight were killed in 1943, and one in 1942.

Forty five have been reported as missing, wounded or prisoners of war.

        First casualty of 1944 was Lieut. Wildric Freeman Hynes, Radio man of the United
           States Navy, only son of Mr. and Mrs. W.F. Hynes, former residents here, now of
           Portland, Oregon.  Enlisting after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Lieut. Hynes was killed in
           the Marshall Islands battle on February 1.

       Ensing Stephen Simoncik was killed in a plane collision in the Southwest Pacific in the spring
            of 1944.  Ensign Simoncik, before entering the service in 1942, was assistant director of
            Recreational activities for the City of Mt. Pleasant and attended Central where he was an all
            around athlete.  He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Simoncik of Muskegon Heights.

     Sgt. Harvey W. Hibbard, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Hibbard of Shepherd, died May 9 at
            Finschhafen, New Guinea, from wounds suffered in fighting in the Pacific.  A native of
            Shepherd, Hibbard entered the service August 6, 1941, and was with one of the first
            units sent into the Pacific battle zone.  Prior to entering the service he was emplyed by
            the Dow Chemical company at the Shepherd pumping station.  Sgt. Hibbard attended
            school in Charlotte.

     Pvt. Joseph Woodbury was killed in action in France, June 11.  The son of Mr. and Mrs.
            William Woodbury of R-4, Mt. Pleasant, he was in the Glider Infantry branch of service,
            having entered in February, 1943.  Pvt. Woodbury attended the rural schools and had
            aided his father for several years in custom butchering.

     Cpl. Clarence Neal was officially declared dead in July by the United States army after
            having been missing in action since the capture of the Philippines by the Japanese.
            Cpl. Neal enlisted in the army on September 27, 1940.  Prior to entering the service he
            worked with his father as a mason.

     Killed in the action of France, June 22, was Sgt. Dewey Bundy, Technician Fourth Grade,
            with the United States Engineers.  Entering the service June 9, 1942, Sgt. Bundy was a
            graduate of Mt. Pleasant High school and was employed by the Lupher Drilling company.
            He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Bundy of Lyons Street.

    Pfc. Cecil Stevens, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harley Stevens of Shepherd, was killed in action
           in the invasion of Normandy in July.  Cecil entered the service just prior to the bombing
           of Pearl Harbor and has served as chef at various camps in this country before going
           overseas.

    Lieut. Robert L. Clark, co-pilot of a B-17, was killed in action over Linz, Austria on July 25.
           He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Lee O. Clark of Hazel Park and Shepherd.  After graduating
           from Hazel Park High school in 1939 he entered Albion college.  He enlisted in the Air Corps
           in March 1943 and on being sent overseas was stationed in Italy.  Lieut. Clark had been
           awarded the African and European Theatre ribbons and the Air Medal with two stars.

    Pfc. Nelson Mahon, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Mahon of Oak street was killed in action
           in the Pacific on July 12.  Pfc. Mahon attended Mt. Pleasant High school and was employed
           by the C.H. House in the grocery store before entering the service in December 1941.

    Pvt. John Beltnick was killed in action in Italy on June 30, where he was serving with an
           infantry division.  He entered the service in October 1943 and received his training at
           Camp Blanding, Florida.  Pvt. Beltnick attended Sacred Heart Academy.

    Paratrooper Pfc. Donie Jones, husband of Dorothea Page Jones of Mt. Pleasant was killed
           in action in France, July 13.  Jones, the father of a small daughter, Donna, entered the service
           December 1, 1942.  Before that Pfcc. Jones was employed at the Northwood Diary.

    Wounded in France, July 4, Pfc. William Tarr, son of Mrs. Bessie Tarr of Midland, died
          seven days later from his wound.  The Tarrs were former residents of Shepherd.  Prior to
          entering the service Bill was employed at the Home Bakery in Midland.

    Pvt. Leo Brown, son of Mrs. Clara Brown of Two Rivers, was killed in action in France
           on August 2.  Pvt. Brown, with an Engineering corps, was a veteran of the North African,
           Sicilian and Italian invasions and took part in the D-Day invasion of Normandy.  A
           graduate of Beal City High school, Pvt. Brown was employed in defense work in Pontiac
           before entering the service shortly after Pearl Harbor.

    Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Cooley's son, Pvt. Harold Cooley of the Marines, was killed
           in action in the South Pacific.  He was a member of the 22nd Marine corps.  The Cooleys,
           now of Owosso, were former Mt. Pleasant residents.

    Pfc. Dean Rauch, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Rauch of Broomfield township was killed in
           France on July 30.  A graduate of Blanchard High school, he entered the service in December
           1943.  Pfc. Rauch went over seas in June and is believed to have been killed in his first
           battle.

    The son of Mr. and Mrs. William Snider of Remus, Pfc. Frederick Snider, was killed
          August 27, in action in the Netherlands, Indies.  He was the husband of Sylvia Smith
          Snider of near Weidman.  Entering the Army on October 28, 1942, he went overseas
          in Feb. 1944.

    Lieut. Phil McGill of the AAF was killed in a bomber crash in this country on October 16.
           The young officer, son of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Johnson and husband of Louise Ramsey
           McGill was a Mt. Pleasant High school and Central Michigan college all round athlete.
           He studied medicine for a year at the University of Michigan and on October 25, 1942
           was called into service.

    Pvt. Sid Lennox was killed in action in Italy on October 26, according to word received recently
           by his parents; Mr. and Mrs. James Lennox of Alma.  He was serving with an infantry
           division.  Well known in this county, Pvt. Lennox formerly worked for the Dow Chemical
           company.

    Harvey Mead, Seaman First Class, husband of Mrs. Pauline McBride Mead, was killed
           in action in the South Pacific last summer. Seaman Mead was the son of Mr. and Mrs.
           Willard Mead of Chippewa township.  Before entering the Navy on June 2, 1943, he
           was a tank builder for Clarence Chivington.

    Sgt. Roy Straight, brother of Edwin Straight of R-3, Shepherd, was killed in action
           recently in the South Pacific theatre of war.  Before entering the service, Sgt.
           Straight was employed by Ouderkirk and House of Rosebush.  Going over seas in
           February 1942, he was stationed in Australia as a mechanic.  He was the son of Mr. and
           Mrs. Charles Straight of R-4, Dunn's Station, Pennsylvania.

    Flight Officer, Quetin D. Cook, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ray H. Cook of Kingman, Kansas and
           brother of Lieut. Theodore Cook of the USNR was killed in action in Italy on OCtober 13,
           1944.  Officer Cook, a bombardier, graduated from Mt. Pleasant High school in 1939.  He
           and his wife Eunice Piechan Cook resided in Battle Creek before he entered the service
           in January 1943.

    Pvt. Edward Craven, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Craven of Blanchard, was killed in
           action on November 10.  Edward was 24 when he enlisted on February 12, 1941.

    Pvt. Paul E. Onstott, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wade Onstott of 907 East Andre, was killed
           in action November 3 in Italy.  Entering the service December 10, 1943, Pvt. Onstott
           received his training at Camp Blanding and was sent over seas in April.  Before entering
           the army Pvt. Onstott was employed by the Ferro Stamping company.

Wounded in the past year of war were:

                    Pvt. Garland R. Ashmun of Mt. Pleasant
                    Kenneth Betts, GM2/c of Shepherd
                    Sgt. John Bridget of Broomfield township
                    Pvt. Kenneth Burden, Mt. Pleasant
                    Pvt. Robert J. Campbell, of North Lansing
                    Pvt. Thomas Cruz, Mt. Pleasant
                    Pvt. John DeHart, Lansing
                    Pvt. Albert DeLong, Shepherd
                    Pvt. Max Dunsworth, Mt. Pleasant
                    Sgt. Irvin V. Ferguson, Weidman
                    Pvt. Edwin L. Foster, Shepherd
                    Joseph Gulick, Shepherd
                    Sgt. John J. Hafer, Mt. Pleasant
                    Pfc. Marshall Howe, Shepherd
                    Pvt. Trinidad Inascencio, West Burch street
                    Sgt. Andrew Kornexl, R-2, Mt. Pleasant
                    Seaman Bernard Lapham, Remus
                    Pfc. William Lippert, Shepherd
                    Pvt. Daniel Lorenz, Mt. Pleasant
                    Pvt. Wilmer G. Lutz, North Main street
                    Lieut. Stuart McArthur, Weidman
                    Pfc. Nelson McBride, R-4, Mt. Pleasant
                    Lieut. Virgil McClintic, South Main street
                    Pvt. Gerald McDonald, Formerly of Mt. Pleasant
                    S/Sgt. Timothy Milloy, North Kinney
                    T/Sgt. Virgil Morey, North Main street
                    Pvt. Rolland C. Pelton, R-4, Mt. Pleasant
                    Pfc. Ronnie Schutt, Rosebush
                    Pvt. Jesse Seeley, R-5, Mt. Pleasant
                    Pfc. Leroy Sexton, Remus
                    Pfc. Maurice L. Smith, R-5, Mt. Pleasant
                    Pfc. Francis Wirick, R-3, Mt. Pleasant
                    Pfc. Elton C. Wood, Mt. Pleasant

Listed as missing in action were:

                    Pfc. Miles Bunting
                    S/Sgt. Maurice Chapman of North Kinney
                    Sgt. Richard Fall of Rosebush
                    Pvt. Max Morey of Mt. Pleasant
                    Pfc. Robert Biggs of North Main
                    Pvt. Wilbur Sheldon of Weidman
                    Pvt. Alton Van Horn of East Pickard
                    Sgt. Steve Varga of Rosebush
                    Pvt. George Whitney of R-2 Remus
                    Pvt. Cleon Wyman of Mt. Pleasant

Those reported as prisoners of war are:

                    Sgt. Stanley Black of Winn
                    Cpl. John Pelcher of R-5, Mt. Pleasant
                    both had previously been reported as missing

                    Pvt. Norval Morey, reported once as "missing" later returned to his base.
                    Sgt. Gerald Rahl, also once officially missing returned to his base and has
                    since been home on furlough.

                    James Crampton of Shepherd offically reported as missing, is another
                    Isabella boy who later returned to his company.

                    Pfc. Gilbert Roberts, 19, a graduate of Mt. Pleasant high with the Class of '43
                    was officially reported as killed in action on Leyte, Philippine Islands on
                    October 26, is now believed to be safe because of letters written in December by
                    young Roberts to friends in Mt. Pleasant.  Gil is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert
                    Roberts of Detroit and the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. C.E. Roberts of South
                    Washington and Mrs. Laura Figg, South Main.
 
 

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