Koth, Donald F. died 1944

KOTH, OLSON, BRORBY, SWENSON, HULBERT, PETERSON

Posted By: IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 6/8/2009 at 20:42:23

Soldier Dies of Wounds
Mrs. Louis A. Olson, Clermont, was notified last week that her brother, Donald Koth, had passed away on January 9 from wounds received in action on January 5. The war department message stated that he was wounded in Italy and that he had been removed to a hospital in North Africa, where he died. His parents are Mr. and Mrs. Vern Koth of Postville.

~Oelwein Daily Register, February 16, 1944
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Attend Memorial Service for Pvt. Koth
Mr. and Mrs. Louis A. Olson and Curtis went to Monona Sunday to attend the memorial services for Mrs. Olson's brother, Pvt. Donald Koth. Services were held in the Methodist church at 2 o'clock p.m. Rev. Roscoe C. Jerrell officiated and military honors were accorded by the American Legion. The American Legion Auxiliary and the Women's Relief Corps also attended in a body. Pvt. Koth, 29, son of Mr. and Mrs. Verne Koth of near Postville, was wounded on January 5, in front line action while serving with the armored artillery in the Italian invasion. He died in a base hospital four days later. Others from here who attended the services were Mrs. J.M. Brorby, Mrs. Tillie Swenson, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Hulbert and Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Peterson.

~Oelwein Daily Register, Clermont column, March 15, 1944

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Added by Mary Durr:

To Hold Memorial Service For Donald Koth Sunday

Memorial services for Private Donald Koth, late son of Mr. and Mrs. Vern Koth of Hardin, will be held on Sunday afternoon at two o'clock in the Methodist church in Monona and the public is cordially invited to attend. The Rev. Roscoe C. Jerrell, pastor of the church, will have charge of the service and a special choir will sing.

Private Koth was wounded in action in Italy where he served with the American army, on January 5 and passed away at a base hospital January 9, according to word received by his parents from the War Department.

Monday of this week Mr. and Mrs. Koth received the Purple Heart medal which had been awarded their son posthumously by the War Department. Last week they had received the Purple Heart certificate of citation.

Donald, who grew to manhood in the Monona community, had been a member of the M. E. church in that city, hence the memorial services are to be held there Sunday.

Postville Herald newspaper clipping, hand dated March 1946, from my mother's obituary collection.

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Mr. and Mrs. Ben Hulbert attended the memorial services at Monona last week for Pvt. Donald Koth, who was killed in the European theatre, Jan. 5, 1944.

~Oelwein Daily Register, Wadena column, October 16, 1948