Verlon Lee Lincecum Eleazar & the U.S. Cadet Nursing Corps

Verlon Lee Lincecum was born 14 September 1920 in Grant Parish, Louisiana. She was one of at least seven children born to Gideon G. "Gid" Lincecum (1881-1970) and Emma Lee Brister (1887-1976). I have her as the sixth child, and second daughter. Siblings include the following:

• Loyd Francis Lincecum (1907-1997)
• Clifton "Skinny" Lincecum (1909-2009)
• Gordon A. Lincecum (1912-2011)
• Ineeta E. Lincecum (1914-2000)
• John Brown Lincecum (1918-2007)
• Margarite "Margie" Lincecum (1926-1998)

Verlon Lee married Dr. Leon Joseph Eleazar, Jr. after 1947. He was a son of French-born L. J. Eleazar, Sr. (d. 1978) and Elodie Guidry (d. 1976). Leon Jr. died 14 August 1975, and Verlon Lee died 23 August 1998 at Lafayette Parish, Louisiana.

Prior to her marriage to Leon, Verlon Lee studied and trained to be a nurse. By 1941, she was a student nurse at Tri-State Hospital in Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana. By January 1944, she had obtained a Registered Nurse degree and was a member of the U.S. Cadet Nursing Corps. Her postgraduate study was completed at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. In April 1945, Verlon had completed training to become a Nurse Anesthetist, and was back at Tri-State in that capacity soon after – definitely by 1947.

[Source: U.S. World War II Cadet Nursing Corps Card Files, 1942-1948 via Ancestry.com]

U.S. World War II Cadet Nursing Corps

History per Wikipedia:

The United States Cadet Nurse Corps was established by the U.S. Congress on June 15, 1943…Its purpose was to ensure the country had enough nurses to care for its citizens at home and abroad during World War II…

…Successful applicants were eligible for a government subsidy that paid for tuition, books, uniforms, and a stipend. In exchange, they were required to pledge to actively serve in essential civilian or federal government services for the duration of World War II…

Cadet nurses came from across the nation and from all backgrounds. Some joined because they wanted to become nurses, others for the free education, and others joined because their country needed them…

…The Cadet Pledge follows:

At this moment of my induction into the United States Cadet Nurse Corps of the United States Public Health Service, I am solemnly aware of the obligations I assume toward my country and toward my chosen profession; I will follow faithfully the teachings of my instructors and the guidance of the physicians with whom I work; I will hold in trust the finest traditions of nursing and the spirit of the Corps; I will keep my body strong, my mind alert, and my heart steadfast; I will be kind, tolerant, and understanding; Above all, I will dedicate myself now and forever to the triumph of life over death; As a Cadet nurse, I pledge to my [country] my service in essential nursing for the duration of the war.

End of the Corps

Following the surrender of Japan in August 1945, President Harry Truman set October 5, 1945, as the final date for new student admissions, allowing for an "orderly transition of an important wartime activity"...Student nurses were providing 80% of the country's nursing care in more than 1,000 civilian hospitals…

In January 1945, the Surgeon General, Thomas Parran, Jr., appeared before the House Committee on Military Affairs and said, "In my opinion, the country has received and increasingly will receive substantial returns on this investment. We can not measure what the loss to the country would have been if civilian nursing service had collapsed, any more than we could measure the cost of failure at the Normandy beachheads."

A plaque dedicated to the Nursing Corps was placed in 2017 at Eisenhower Park, East Meadow, New York. It reads, in part, "They saved lives at home, so others could save lives abroad."

Another Relative in the Corps?

Verlon Lee Lincecum Eleazar was my 4th cousin, 4x removed. In the U.S. World War II Cadet Nursing Corps Card Files, 1942-1948 database, I did find another name that piqued my interest.

Jean Etta Linsacum was a member of corps, as well. She was admitted in 1944 at age 18 and attended the Colorado Training School for Nurses at Denver. Her membership card noted her to be a daughter of Kenneth Linsacum, a farmer of Montrose County, Colorado.

Toy Pistol Caused 1901 Death of George L. Lincecum

George Lachoen Lincecum was born 4 February 1886 in Texas to George Durham Lincecum (1854-1931) and S. Frances Amada "Fannie" Stubblefield (1867-1947). Fannie was a daughter of Stephen Potts Stubblefield (b. 1824). Research suggests young George was the eldest of six children born to Fannie and her husband.

George, Fannie, and the kids were in Gonzales, Texas for the summertime taking of the 1900 census. By the end of NewYear's Day of 1901, young George was dead.

Dallas Morning News (Texas)
Saturday, 5 January 1901 - pg. 3 [via GenealogyBank]

Toy Pistol Caused Death.
SPECIAL TO THE NEWS.
Gonzales, Tex., Jan. 3 -- George Lachoen Lincecum, aged 15 years, who was shot in the finger Christmas with a toy pistol, from which lockjaw resulted, died New Year's day at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Lincecum.

An obituary that ran a couple days before in the Gonzales Inquirer stated, "He was an excellent boy and was liked by all who knew him. He worked in his father's store on North Avenue and was well known. During the holidays he was wounded in the hand by a toy pistol, and a part of the wad from the cartridge remained in the wound."

Burial was in the Gonzales Masonic Cemetery.

As  mentioned previous, young George had five siblings:

• Stephen Omeaux "Oma" Lincecum (d. 1970)
• Sarah Daisy Lincecum Patton (d. 1982)
• Val Lincecum (b. abt. 1892)
• Norton Lincecum (b. abt. 1895)
• Parula Russell Lincecum (1896-1971)

I have yet to find Val or Norton after the 1900  census, and wonder if they might have died at a very young age.

[Note: There is an image of young George on a remembrance card issued (presumably) about the time of his death on his FindAGrave memorial.]

Heirs of Reuben Reed Kynion, Husband of Diantha Lincecum

Diantha Lincecum (b. 1842) was a daughter of Harmon Lincecum/Linsicum (b. abt 1808) and Lucinda "Lucy" Thompson.  Diantha married Reuben Reed Kynion 12 October 1856 at Cape Girardeau County, Missouri.  According to an old family book, Diantha died 12 July 1886.  A couple of years later, Reuben married Mary A. McNeely.

Reuben Kynion died 21 January 1896 at his residence in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri.  This information was found on an Administrator's Bond created after his death – due to Reuben dying intestate (without a will).

An Administrator's Bond is a form of insurance that assures a person who is responsible for the paying of debts and dispersing of property – the administrator – acts legally and ethically and protects those who have an interest in the deceased's estate against fraud.

In the case of Reuben Kynion, the administrators (principally a Mr. Jacob Waddle) put up $500.

This document also listed the heirs of Mr. Kynion:

OATH.
STATE OF MISSOURI,
County of Cape Girardeau

Administrator of the Estate of Reuben R. Kynion deceased, being duly sworn, says that the said Reuben R. Kynion died intestate, and without leaving any will at residence in said Co. Jany 21^st A. D. 1896, leaving as his heirs ¹ Chas Kynion, ² Eliza McNeil, ³ Monroe Kynion, all adults, ⁴ heirs of Lucinda Littrell, nie [sic] Kynion, dec'd, ⁵ and Henry Kynion, born August 1890, ⁶ Jacob Kynion, born July 2, 1895, minor heirs of Reuben R. Kynion, dec'd.

And that he will make perfect inventory and faithfully administer all the Estate of the said Reuben R. Kynion, dec'd, and pay the debts as far as the assets will extend and the law direct, and account for and pay all assets which shall come to his possession or knowledge.

[Signed by mark of X] Jacob Waddle

Sworn and subscribed before me this 31^st day of January A. D. 1896.
[Signed] Henry Peels [Puls?], clerk of Probate.

One thing not detailed in the transcription, is this:  dec'd appears to be written above the name Jacob Kynion.  He and Henry were sons of Reuben and his second wife.

Compiling from all sources, including the heirs noted above, here is my list of children born to Reuben Reed Kynion and Diantha Lincecum:

• Charles R. "Charlie" Kynion (1865-1922)
• Mary Lucinda Kynion Littrell (b. abt 1859)
• Louisa Eliza Kynion Tidwell McNeil
• Julia Kenyon/Kynion (b. abt 1867)
• Monroe Kynion (1874-1930)
• Benjamin F. Kynion (b. abt 1875)

Take all mistakes as good wishes.

Children of Cassandra Lincecum Durham

Cassandra Lincecum (d. 1877) was a daughter of Gideon Lincecum (1793-1874) and Sarah "Sallie" Bryan/t (d. 1867).  George John Durham (1820-1869) was a son of William Durham (d. 1859) and Ester/Easter Bloomfield (d. 1868).  Cassandra and George were married just before Christmas 1852 in Washington County, Texas.  Afterwards, the couple resided at Austin, Travis County.

It is believed Cass and George had seven children, of which only three lived to see adulthood.  I have information on the births and deaths of all seven, save one.  If you have any information to share, I would love to compare notes.

- Mary Leonora "Lee" Durham was born about 1854 in Texas.  She could be found with her parents in Austin for the 1860 Federal census, but died just a couple of years later on 10 April 1862.  Little Leonora was buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Austin the next day.

- Walter Winn Durham was born 20 December 1855 in Texas.  Months before his 14th birthday, Walter's father died.  He immediately became the de-facto "man of the house." Even before the age of 18, Walter was working as a clerk for local bookseller, Jos. A. Nagle.  And we know from a letter his grandfather Gideon wrote in the summer of 1873, that Walter performed many tasks around the home before even heading to his paying day job:

…Walter rises early, feeds and waters the dogs and chickens, goes to market, and then, until breakfast, fixes up anything that is out of order.  That over, he goes off to the house that pays him for his services and is seen no more until dark…

Four years after Gideon wrote that letter, Walter's mother was dead.  So before he turned 22, Walter became a guardian for two of his siblings.  Following notice from the 29 August 1878 Weekly Democratic Statesman (Austin, TX):

GUARDIAN'S SALE.
The State of Texas to all persons interested in the guardianship of SIDNEY and MARY L. DURHAM, minors:

Walter W. Durham, guardian of said minors, has filed his application in the County Court of Travis county praying for a sale of certain real estate belonging to them for their education and maintenance, which will be heard at the next term of said court, to be held at the court house thereof, in Austin, on the Third Monday in September, 1878, when and where all persons interested may appear and make objections thereto...

Some time after 1880, Walter got involved with cotton – and it became his career.  He remained in the business of cotton for 30 – 40 years.  Companies he was known to have worked with include E. J. Byrne & Co., Crawford & Byrne, E. H. Perry & Co., and W. T. Caswell.  Walter was known as a "pioneer cotton man."

Walter, probably too busy otherwise, did not marry until about age 34.  He wed German-born Marie Augusta Packenius on 12 October 1889 at Travis County.  It appears the couple had seven children:  Jennie, George J. (1890-1974), M. Louise, Mary Lee (1894-1961), Walter Arthur (b. 1898), Charles West (1900-1907), and Marie Cassandra (1908-1981).

Walter Winn Durham died 7 March 1929 at Austin.  He was buried at Oakwood Cemetery.

- Sarah Lincecum "Sally" Durham was born about 1858 in Texas.  Like her sister Lee, Sally died in April 1862.  In fact, it was just the day before Lee breathed her last.  Lois Burkhalter wrote in her 1965 biography of Gideon, grandfather of the little girls:

Among the Lincecum Papers are invitations from the Durham Austin residence on Pecan, now Sixth, and Guadalupe, to funerals of their daughters, Sarah Lincecum, at 4:00 P.M., Thursday, April 10, 1862, and Mary Leonora, at 4:00 P.M., Friday, April 11, 1862.  An explanation of this long-ago tragedy is found in the diary of Amelia E. Barr, an Englishwoman who lived for a while in Texas and was well acquainted with the Durhams:

April 9, 1862:  In the evening to Mrs. Durham's.  Poor little Sally, whom I suckled for two months when her mother had fever, just dead of diptheria.

April 10, 1862:  Went to see Sally for the last time...The cemetery was crowded.  When we got back from Sally's funeral her sister, Leonora, was dying.  She breathed her last at five o'clock.

- Royal Wheeler Durham was born after 1860, died 21 April 1866, and was buried at Oakwood Cemetery.  Unlike the other children, I cannot corroborate the existence of young Royal with other records. My only source is Ms. Burkhalter's book.

- Sidney Johnson "Sid" Durham was born about July 1860 in Austin.  He was baptized at St. David's Episcopal Church when about a year old.

In June 1883, Sidney married a Scotland-born widow named Mary Jean "Jennie" (Mackey) Gray at Austin.  The couple had at least two daughters:  Lela/Leonore (1884-1940) and Ione Finin (1886-1956).

During his mid to late twenties, Sidney was occupied as a clerk in Austin.  In 1887 specifically, he was associated with H. H. Hazzard & Co.  A newspaper item dated that same year, however, showed Sid also had a talent for singing (and must have been a big dude).

West Texas Free Press (San Marcos, TX)
10 March 1887 - pg. 4 [via GenealogyBank]

The entertainment on Saturday night at Harper's Hall was one of real merit...Mr. Sid Durham, who might be styled the musical giant of Texas, his power of voice fully corresponding with his large proportions...

Two years later, according to an Austin, TX city directory, Sidney appeared to then be pursuing a career in musical entertainment full time.  And a newspaper item from the summer of that same year – 1889 – showed Sidney had begun making trips to New York.

Weekly Democratic Statesman (Austin, Texas)
Thursday, 15 August 1889 - pg. 4

Sailing the Ocean Blue.
Our special this morning from Galveston announcing that...Mr. Sidney Durham..., of Austin, [was] among the passengers of the steamship Comal that sailed Wednesday morning from Galveston for New York.  THE STATESMAN wafts them a kindly adieu and wishes them a pleasant voyage and a safe arrival at their destination.

Even though Sidney was again listed in an 1895 Austin city directory (occupied as a musician), I also found his trips to New York continued in the interim.  And the aforementioned Lois Burkhalter added this:

Another son [of George and Cassandra], Sidney J. Durham, wrote (August 6, 1895) his Aunt Sallie Doran that he was in New York with the Lillian Russell Comique Opera Company, studying voice with Madame Skinner, and had become a Christian Scientist.

A report from the New York Sun, dated 12 April 1896, puts Sidney at the Big Apple again.  This time he was performing at the famed Salmagundi Club:

A SALMAGUNDI NIGHT.

Music, Variety, and Farce in a Crowded Art Gallery.
Friday night's entertainment at the Salmagundi Club, 14 West Twelfth street, was an event of more than common interest, and was quite the most ambitious that the artists have ever undertaken...

Among the musical numbers [were]...some baritone songs by Mr. Sidney Durham, who has a fine cultivated voice which he uses with admirable skill and effect...

Records suggest Sidney had officially moved to New York by 1910.  According to that year's federal census, he was residing at 881 7th Avenue [Carnegie Hall?], and occupied as a Concert Singer – alone.  No wife nor kids were there.

About this time, Jennie started being listed in Austin, TX city directories as the widow of Sidney J.  I don't know if this was simply an incorrect supposition, or if Jennie described herself as such.  Regardless, it seems to indicate Sidney was no longer spending much (if any) time at his Austin home.

Per 1911, 1912, and 1913 city directories for New York, New York, Sidney was occupied as a secretary at 883 7th Avenue.  Home was "Hotel Grenoble" in 1911 and 1912.  (It is my understanding this hotel was across from Carnegie Hall.) In 1915, Sidney's home was the same, but his occupation was more specifically noted as "Secretary, Christian Science Church." It's possible his (then) new-found faith supplanted his career in music.

The last record I found of Sidney in New York was 1918, when he was residing at 871 7th Avenue.  I believe this to likely be the Wellington Hotel.  Per their website:

New York's historic Wellington Hotel has been welcoming guests from around the world for 116 years. We invite you to explore everything there is to see and do in this great City from our superb location near Broadway, Carnegie Hall, Central Park, MoMA and Rockefeller Center.

Image from Google Map street view, dated December 2017:

Then Sidney moved again.  To another hotel.  In California.  I found him in the 1920 Oakland, Alameda County Federal census.  He was listed in a hotel at 300 Thirteenth Street, managed by William C. Jargens.  Could this have been the historic Hotel Oakland?

What is somewhat bizarre about the census entry is a female named Jean Durham is right under Sidney.  Both boarders were aged 55 and married.  Sidney was occupied as a Christian Science Practitioner.

Sidney seems to have sojourned to San Francisco for a couple of years (1923-1924) per voter records and a city directory.  Address was 798 Post Street (Google map image below).  This is currently part of the Lower Nob Hill district and on the National Register of Historic Places.  Majority of the buildings were constructed as apartment hotels, dated 1906 – 1925.

According to the California Death Index at Ancestry, Sidney J. Durham died 24 January 1926 at Alameda County, California.  (I'm clueless as to a burial site.) Sid's death came one year after the death of his wife.  Per her tombstone at Oakwood Cemetery in Austin, Texas, Mary Jean Mackey Gray Durham died 29 January 1925.  She was buried beside her first husband.

- Prior/Price Durham was born about 1866 in Texas.  He was listed with his mother for the taking of the 1870 Federal census at Austin, Travis County.  Based on Gideon Lincecum's letter quoted from above, this young son died before 1873.

- Mary Lela Durham was born about 1868 in Texas.  She was listed with her mother in census records for Austin dated 1870 and 1875.  After Cassandra's death in 1877, Lela's oldest brother Walter became her guardian.

For the 1880 Austin, Travis County, Texas Federal census, it appears Walter and brother Sid were living in the family home on Pecan Street.  Their sister "Lela" was boarding a few doors down in the Ben J. Smith household.  Both Ben and wife Eliza were school teachers.  Twelve-year-old Lela's occupation was "at school."

I lose Lela after that census taking.  Since she is counted as one of the children of George and Cassandra that made it to adulthood, it's possible she married.  To whom is the question.

Take all mistakes as good wishes.

Individual Report for Cassandra Lincecum Durham (d. 1877)

Cassandra Lincecum, likely born in 1832 in Mississippi, was one of 13 children born to Gideon Lincecum (1793-1874) and Sarah Bryan/t (d. 1867).  I have her as the 10th child, and 4th daughter.

The few times I've seen Cassandra's name spelled out, it's been fairly consistent.  Her marriage record did add an i to get Cassandria, though.  And a possible error by a grieving informant for one of her children's death certificate resulted in her maiden name being displayed as C. Alinska.  We know from her father's papers, that Gideon called her Cass.

When Cassandra was just a few years old, her father went "on an exploring expedition to the province of Texas." Gideon returned home about seven months later.  He "rode up to the yard fence" and observed the homeplace:

The family were at dinner under the long shed that reached from the house to the well.  They were so much engaged they did not see me for some minutes.  I had time to count the children and see they were all there.  Two of them, Leonora and Cassandra, whose heads were a yellowish brown when I went away, were black now, and that was about all the change I could discover…The family then quit the table and did not finish their dinners.  [Source:  Adventures of a Frontier Naturalist: the Life and Times of Dr. Gideon Lincecum, pub. 1994]

By the time Cassandra reached the age of 18, this Lincecum clan had been moved to Washington County, Texas.  And this is where, just before Christmas 1852, Cassandra married George John Durham (1820-1869).  They had seven children:  Mary Leonora (aka "Lee"), Walter Winn, Sarah Lincecum (aka "Sally"), Royal Wheeler, Sidney Johnson (aka "Sid"), Prior/Price [?], and Leila/Lila/Lelia/Lela (possible first name "Mary").  It is claimed that only three made it to adulthood.

After marriage, Cassandra and George settled at Austin, Travis County, Texas.  City directories available at Ancestry show the precise address in the 1870s to be the southwest corner of Pecan (now 6th) and Guadalupe streets.  I do believe that had been the family home since the couple was first married, though.  As early as 1849, George described his property in a notice published in the local newspaper:

Texas State Gazette (Austin, TX)
24 November 1849 – pg. 6 [via GenealogyBank]

NOTICE TO TRESPASSERS.
ALL PERSONS are hereby forewarned against cutting or destroying any of the timber on the tract of land belonging to me, lying on the West bank of the Colorado River, in the County of Travis, about 1/3 of a mile below Stone's Ferry, as I will prosecute any and all persons so offending to the utmost rigor of the law, GEORGE J. DURHAM.

Here's a map of the area today.  If explored, you can see where Guadalupe and 6th (formerly Pecan) cross is approximately five blocks from the Colorado River.

[Additional Map Links:  You might also want to click here for an 1873 map of Austin.  If enlarged, you can see the same thing – though much less crowded.  Lastly, click here for an 1844 map of the city.  This shows the much more wooded terrain possibly described by George in his 1849 "Notice to Trespassers."]

Here's even more color about Cassandra and her home in Austin (from Gideon Lincecum, 1793-1874 by Lois Wood Burkhalter, pub. 1965):

...The Durhams lived in a small log house on the road to the ferry.  Everyone coming into town and every one going out of town passed Mrs. Durham's.  Her sitting room was as entertaining as the local news in the weekly paper.  There was no restraint in Mrs. Durham's company; people could be themselves without fear of criticism.  She was not pretty, not stylish, not clever, not in the least fashionable, but she was the favorite of women who were all these things.  There were no carpets on the floors and there was a bed in the room wherein her friends congregated.  She did not go to entertainments and I never saw a cup of tea served in her house, yet she was the most popular woman in Austin…

Typhoid fever killed Cassandra's husband George in April 1869.  She was left with three children, aged 14, 9, and the youngest about 1 year old.  Cassandra supported her family by running a boarding house in Austin, presumably on the Durham family property.  Following culled from letters Gideon wrote a daughter and son-in-law in 1873 – around a time he paid Cassandra a visit.

...Cassandra and her family are all well.  Cass does all the cooking herself, with Sidney's help.  He supplies the wood and water, attends to setting the table, etc.  Walter rises early, feeds and waters the dogs and chickens, goes to market, and then, until breakfast, fixes up anything that is out of order.  That over, he goes off to the house that pays him for his services and is seen no more until dark.  The little girl is very healthy, looks handsome and…is beginning to help her Mamma a little…

...Leonora in Tuxpan [Mexico] and Cassandra in Austin...my two widowed daughters.  Both hold in the society to which they belong high positions.  I don't know which of the two is most sought after or most beliked...Cassandra, the stately, slow moving, young looking, rather handsome Cassandra.

Cassandra Lincecum Durham's death, caused by pneumonia, came 8 April 1877.  She was just 45 years old.  Cass was buried beside her husband in the family lot at Oakwood Cemetery in Austin.

Take all mistakes as good wishes.

Orval Clay Starks: Lost at Sea with the Shinyo Maru Sinking

Orval Clay Starks was born about 1921 in Louisiana to Willie Clay Starks (1881-1934) and Leona Wheat/Wheet (1892-1969).  I have him as the 6th child and 1st son born to this couple.  Orval was a grandson of Bobbie Lincecum Starks (1860-1949) of Louisiana.

Orval C. Starks enlisted in the United States Army 6 October 1939.  Given his young age, I was somewhat surprised to see his marital status listed as divorced.

The 1940 Bossier Parish, Louisiana Federal census taker found Orval in the soldiers' barracks at Barksdale Field, a base that had only been established eight years earlier, with an occupation duly noted as "military soldier."

Orval served overseas during World War II. He attained the rank of Private First Class, and was attached to the combat organization 16th Bomber Squadron, 27th Bomber Group (Light) of the V Bomber Command.

In early May 1942, Orval was captured at the Philippines by Japanese forces and became a prisoner of war.  Thirteen months later, a "Roll of Honor" was published in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana Advocate, on which Orval was still noted as a POW "interned by Japan at unstated camp." It's common knowledge these prisoners suffered unspeakable horrors and were often used as laborers for the Japanese.

On 7 September 1944, POW Starks was a passenger on a "Hell Ship" – the Shinyo Maru – and had been so for weeks, at least.  Ships such as this were used to transport "American and Allied men…to Japan to be used as labor in mines and factories.  Thousands were crowded into the holds…without water, food, or sufficient ventilation.  The Japanese did not mark "POW" on the decks of these vessels…" [Wikipedia]

With an ironic twist of fate, this hell ship was sunk by the American submarine USS Paddle.  Following from World War II Database contributor C. Peter Chen, citing the United States National Archives:

Shinyo Maru was a transport pressed into military service by Japan during the war. On 14 Aug 1944, American intelligence intercepted a Japanese message noting that Shinyo Maru was to unload the rice and cement currently in her holds at Zamboanga, Mindanao and unload the remaining goods at Manila, Luzon, both in the Philippine Islands. As further messages were decoded, the Americans followed Shinyo Maru's footsteps as she sailed in Philippine waters. A message intercepted at 0200 hours on 7 Sep noted that she was to sail with convoy C-076 from Manila with "750 troops" on board.

Intelligence failure, as later revealed in Dec 1944, led to an [unfortunate] incident for the Americans: the "750 troops" were in fact 750 American troops, prisoners of war who had been used as forced laborers. They had been in the cargo holds of Shinyo Maru since 20 Aug...

Further analysis on the sinking of Shinyo Maru concluded that she was indeed carrying 750 American POWs at the time, and 688 of them perished.

According to the American Battle Monuments Commission, Pvt. Orval C. Starks of the U.S. Army Air Forces is considered Missing In Action.  He is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in Taguig City, Philippines.

The last couple years of Orval's life surely didn't seem merciful, but I pray his death was.

Family Group Report for Bobbie Lincecum & George B. Starks

Bobbie Lincecum was born 24 February 1860 in Louisiana.  She was the first-born child of John P. Lincecum (1820-1907) and Nancy Victoria Hawthorne (b. 1840).

As you might imagine, Bobbie was sometimes assumed to be short for Robert.  This happened on at least one occasion that I have found.  She was noted as Robert Lyncicum in the 1860 Rapides Parish, Louisiana Federal census.  Other names/spellings I've come across include Barbry Lincecum and Bobby Lenccrem.  For the 1920 Grant Parish, Louisiana Federal census, the taker left off "Mrs." and noted her as G. B. Stark.

According to a Louisiana Compiled Marriage Index at Ancestry, Bobbie Lincecum married George Starks 18 November 1881 in Grant Parish. This may or may not be accurate, however, since the couple's first-born child is noted on occasion of having the birthdate of 5 October 1881.

George Breckenridge Starks was born about April 1860 in Louisiana.  He was the third child and second son of Christian Starks (1825-1902) and Rebecca Nugent (1839-1928).  Oftentimes, George is noted to have the birthdate of 8 September 1861 – it's even on his tombstone.  However, I go with "about April 1860" because George can be found in that year's census taken in August with an age of 4/12.

George was usually occupied as a farmer, and he and Bobbie spent most of their lives in Grant Parish, Louisiana.

George Breckenridge Starks was "ambushed and assassinated" on 14 March 1914 in Grant Parish (more on that is in another post).  Bobbie did not marry again, and died 13 July 1949 in Rapides Parish.  Both were buried in Lincecum Cemetery at Grant Parish.

According to the 1910 Grant Parish, Louisiana Federal census, Bobbie had nine children (seven living).  I can only account for eight children, and I don't have firm death dates for the two who supposedly died before April 1910.

Children of Bobbie Lincecum and George Breckenridge Starks:

• Willie Clay Starks, b. abt 1882 in Louisiana, m. Leona Wheat, d. 22 February 1934 in Louisiana
• Daniel D. Starks, b. abt February 1883 in Louisiana
• Nancy V. Starks, b. abt September 1886 in Louisiana
• George Washington Starks, b. 26 August 1889 in Louisiana, m. Laflore Adele Atwell abt 1917, d. 31 March 1969
• Neatie R. Starks, b. March 1892 in Louisiana
• John Oliver Starks, b. 23 August 1894 in Louisiana, m. Annie Wilson, d. 27 July 1977
• Bessie M. Starks, b. 1896-1897 in Louisiana
• Beulah Belle Starks, b. 1902 in Louisiana, m. (1) Arther Capps, (2) Harold Herbert Hines, (3) Jewell Wesley Proctor 1968 in Texas, d. 25 May 1999 in Texas

Sources available upon request.  Take all mistakes as good wishes.

Note: George and Bobbie were young teenagers at the time of the Colfax Riot, an event that took place not far from their homes.