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Francis Herbert Cronkhite (1911-1945)

Home...BiographiesFrancis Herbert Cronkhite (1911-1945)

Francis Herbert Cronkhite (1911-1945)

This Lowell Tribune article was found in the April 5, 1945, issue (page 1, column 6):

    PFC. F. CRONKHITE MEETS DEATH IN IWO JIMA BATTLE

    FATHER NOTIFIED TUESDAY NIGHT THAT SON WAS KILLED IN ACTION MAR. 24

    A telegram from the War Department Tuesday night informed John H. Cronkhite that his son, Pfc. Francis Cronkhite, 33, had been killed fighting for his country in the battle of Iwo Jima, on March 24th.
    Francis, who served a four-year enlistment in the Marines, 1930-34, re-enlisted January 3, 1944, and for the past several months had been serving with the Marines in the south Pacific. When the battle of Iwo Jima started, his outfit was one of the first of the invasion forces to go ashore.
    Francis was born in Morocco, but had lived near Lowell since early childhood. He was a graduate of Lowell high school with the class of 1929, starring on L.H.S. football and wrestling teams his last two years.
    He leaves to mourn his untimely death, his wife and two children, who reside at Elks Mound, Wisconsin; his father, John H. Cronkhite, two sisters, Mrs. Edward Wood and Miss Jessie, and one brother, Leo, all of Lowell, and a sister, Mrs. Cecil Love, of Chicago.
This June 7, 1945, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 1, column 6. Note that the death date is listed as June 14, but the previous article lists it as March 24. According to the World Book Encyclopedia, the fight to gain control of the eight sqare miles of the island of Iwo Jima was a lenghty one lasting Feb.-Mar. 1945. Over 5,800 American Marines lost their lives.

    MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR PFC. FRANCIS CRONKHITE

    Memorial services for Pfc. Francis H. Cronkhite, who was killed in action March 14th, on Iwo Jima, will be held at the Christian church, Lowell, Sunday, June 10th, at 2:30 p.m.
This June 14, 1945, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 1, column 2 and continued on page 6:

    MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR PFC. FRANCIS CRONKHITE

    Memorial services were held Sunday, June 10, 2:30 p.m. at the Lowell Church of Christ, for Pfc. Francis Cronkhite, U.S.M.C.R., who was killed in action, March 14, 1945, on Iwo Jima.
    Members of the Lowell Post 101, American Legion, preceded the family into the church and presented the colors. The Rev. E.L. Worley, pastor of the Shelby Christian church, assisted by Rev. O.E. Whitehouse of Lowell, took charge of the service. Mrs. George Gault and Rev. Whitehouse, accompanied by Mrs. Virgie Ruley, sang two vocal selections. Presentation of the flag was made by Norman Jones, commander of the American Legion.
    Pfc. Larry Barragree, Great Lakes Navy hospital, who was with Francis at the time of his death, was granted a pass in order to attend the services for his friend.
    Many baskets of flowers were placed on the altar by the family and friends. A picture of Francis was draped with a flag and placed on a table in front of the church.
    Francis Herbert Cronkhite, 33, son of Idella and John Cronkhite, was born at Fair Oaks, Ind., Nov. 5, 1911. He spent his early childhood in and around Fair Oaks and Morocco, until 1925 when he moved with the family to a farm near Lowell. He graduated from Lowell high school in 1929, where he had taken an active part in basketball, football and track.
    On August 10, 1934, he enlisted in the Marine Corps, and of his four year enlistment, spent three years in Peiping, China.
    On January 3, 1940, he was united in marriage to Beatrice Eileen Jessel of Elk Mound, Wis. Born to this union were two children, a son, Donald Herbert, and a daughter, Mary Jo.
    On January 3, 1944, he answered a call to service from his country and served as a drill instructor at the Marine base at San Diego, California, prior to leaving the States Nov. 23, 1944. It was during a mission with Pfc. Barragree, bringing in wounded men that he met sudden death.
    He leaves to mourn his passing, his widow and two children of Elk Mound, Wis.; his father, J.H. Cronkhite; brother, Leo, sisters, Jessie and Mrs. Freda Wood of Lowell, and Mrs. Esther Love of Chicago. His mother, a brother and a sister preceded him in death, his mother passing while he was with the Marines in China. In addition he leaves many other relatives and a host of friends.
    Out-of-town friends and relatives attending the services were: Mrs. Mary Nehrig, Mr. and Mrs. Vinson Nehrig and daughter of Williamsport; Mr. and Mrs. Fred Moriarty and family, Mr. and Mrs. H.F. Allie of Kankakee; Pfc. Larry Barragree of Great Lakes; Mrs. Larry Barragree of Watseka, Ill.; Mrs. Art Bartsch and family, Mrs. E.G. Helmer, and Mrs. Don Yates of Chicago; Mr. and Mrs. Miles McFadden of Crown Point, and Mr. and Mrs. L.H. Jessel of Elk Mound, Wis.
Last updated on January 5, 2012.

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