WILLARD, Roy W. 1908-1944

WILLARD

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 6/3/2017 at 20:13:29

Beaman Soldier Killed In Action In Italy

Mr. and Mrs. Ed Willard of Beaman received word a few days ago that their son, Pfc. Roy Willard, was killed in action in Italy May 30. The Willards received a message earlier in the week saying that their son had been seriously injured. They do not know whether the first message as an error or whether their son died later.

Roy Willard was 36 years old. He was born in Beaman December 25, 1908. He graduated from the Beaman high school in 1928, after which he was employed on farms in the vicinity of Beaman until he entered service in April, 1941. In addition to his parents he is survived by one brother, Cecil of Brunswick, Mo., 4 sisters, Mrs. Frances Hess, Los Angeles, Calif.; Mrs. Houston Hall and Mrs. Clyde Arnett of Marshalltown, and Mrs. Ernest Holl of Beaman.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 29 June 1944, pg 1

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Roy Willard Body Sent Home

Word was received Wednesday morning by Mr. and Mrs. Ed Willard of Beaman and their daughter Mina in Conrad, that the body of Roy Willard, their son and brother, was in Chicago, from overseas. The Willards formerly lived at Conrad.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 8 July 1948, pg 10

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Roy Willard's Body Is Home

The body of Roy Willard has been brought home from Italy and it was placed in its final resting place in the Beaman cemetery yesterday afternoon. The services were at the Methodist church with Rev. J. J. Snyder in charge. Burial with military honors served by the Beaman Post of The American Legion was in Vienna cemetery.

Roy Willard was killed May 30, 1944 near Rome in Italy while in the service of his country. He was buried in the military cemetery at Netluna, Italy, and his remains were sent to this country at the request of his parents.

Roy Willard was born on a Marshall county farm Dec. 25, 1908. A few years later the family moved to Conrad and then to Beaman where Roy graduated from the Beaman high school with the class of 1928. After completing high school he was employed on farms in Clay township.

He entered the services of his country April 9, 1941, from Grundy Center and was sent to Camp Claiborne, La. After a short time at Fort Dix, N.J., he was sent overseas. He was attached to the 34th division and participated in the North African campaign. Three weeks after his outfit moved into Italy he was critically wounded by enemy small arms fire and died a few hours later in a field hospital.

Surviving are his parents, four sisters and a brother, Mrs. Elmer Johnson of Conrad, Mrs. Ernest Holl of Marshalltown, Mrs. Roy Davis of Kansas City, Mo., Mrs. Houston Hall and Cecil Willard of Marshalltown.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 12 August 1948, pg 1