I have been on Ancestry's site almost every day this week, putting together my family tree. I'll likely be sharing tid bits of what I discover here on my blog.
So here goes my favorite discovery:
My cousin, Keith Dale Wann
Keith Dale Wann (25 Jun 1922 - MIA, SSgt)
Keith was a US Army Air Force Pilot and Staff Seargent. He was 5'7" and 145 lbs. Almost exact size as my husband. Keith died at 23-years-old in combat in WWII, somewhere in Cambridge, England in 1945. He is apparently buried in England.
When Keith Dale Wann was born on June 25, 1922, in Brookings, Oregon, his father, Thomas, was 49 and his mother, Dora, was 37. He was the youngest of eleven.
While researching my cousin, I found a blog in which a veteran had shared a bit about him. Here is the link: http://memoircenter.com/veteran-bill-nabers-how-world-war-ii-saved-my-life/
"I joined Tuolumne VFW Post 4748 in 1970. It is the Keith Dale Wann Post, named after the first Tuolumne City resident to die in WWII. Keith Wann was shot down over England coming back from a raid. We received a letter from his sister a couple of years ago saying that she had traveled to England and found the place where he was buried."
Did you read that?! Yeah, my eyes grew wide and my jaw dropped. There is a post named after him in CA. They have a memorial for him and everything! It's Post 4748 in Tuolumne, CA.
What's so sad about his story is, not only did he die in combat at the ripe age of 23, he left behind his young wife, Gwendolyn "Goldie" and newborn daughter, Vicky.
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| Keith Dale Wann and Gwendolyn "Goldie" Alexander, young love. |
Here he is as a child, youngest of 11 children.
High school photo
Stud
I located this photo today. His daughter Vicky is on the left and his grandson is on the right. This was taken in 1999. I don't know who the woman is in the middle. I've yet to locate information about his daughter, although I believe she is still alive. All I know is that she was either just born or 1 yrs old when her father, Keith, died.
I feel totally honored to be related to this guy. A hero. Wow. No words.
He was my great-grandma, Eva Mae's cousin.
He would have been 94 this year.
Ugh, my heart!
I will be trying to discover more about him in the meantime. I will keep y'all posted. I've already contacted another distant relative about him and also the Post in CA that was named after him.
In case you are curious, Here is their site:
I would love to visit his Post one day!
xoxo, A Law Student's Wife
Hello there - great stuff - Yeah that was my Grandfather, as my mom is Vickie Wann. She became deaf at the age of 3 and grew up with Goldie in Watsonville. My mom now lives in Florida and leads a very private life. Having Sign Language as my first language I was able to use it to become an interpreter and now performer. I remember finding the VFW post too and showing my mom. Took her there and we met the lady in the picture (forgot her name but was one of the sisters). Richard Wann was good with a lot of the history. Have you talked to him?
ReplyDeleteHello there - great stuff - Yeah that was my Grandfather, as my mom is Vickie Wann. She became deaf at the age of 3 and grew up with Goldie in Watsonville. My mom now lives in Florida and leads a very private life. Having Sign Language as my first language I was able to use it to become an interpreter and now performer. I remember finding the VFW post too and showing my mom. Took her there and we met the lady in the picture (forgot her name but was one of the sisters). Richard Wann was good with a lot of the history. Have you talked to him?
ReplyDeleteHi Keith! I am so glad you stumbled upon my blog. I've just recently begun ancestry research and it's been really difficult locating relatives and information. From Ancestry's site, it appeared your grandparents did not have any children until I stumbled upon the photo above.
ReplyDeleteHow cool!
How old is your mom now? It looks like Goldie remarried twice and was widowed again each time. Is that correct? She died fairly young as well it seems.
I have not reached out to Richard. How can I contact him?
Thanks for reaching out. I am excited to learn more.
yeah Goldie died young and did remarry twice. My mom was born in 1944. There was also another wann cousin who had a lot of info - think his name was "Mal"
ReplyDelete