page updated
12/21/2010

S/Sgt. Mark R. Throntveit

Mother Receives Word Son Killed in Action

Scarville, Ia. - Mrs. Martha Throntveit received a telegram Thursday morning stating that her son, S. Sgt. Mark Throntveit had died of wounds received in action. Mrs. Throntveit has 3 other sons in the service.

~Mason City Globe-Gazette, August 11, 1944
~contributed by S. Ferrall

~*~*~

Scarville Boy Killed in the War in France

Staff Sergeant Mark Royden Throntveit, son of Mrs. Martha Throntveit of Scarville was killed in action in France July 27, according to a telegram received by his mother from the war department Thursday of last week. The last letter received from him was dated July 26. Sgt. Throntveit was in the medical detachement of an engineer battalion and started his training October 8, 1942, when he was accepted for limited service in the army.

He is survived by his mother, a sister Thea, and brothers: Joseph at home, Private Thomas and S. Sgt. Carl both in France and Thelford, SK1/c in the navy. His father and two sisters have preceded him in death. Memorial services will be held for him Friday evening of this week at Scarville.

~newspaper clipping, hand-dated 8-17-1944; the photo appearing at the top of this page is from the same clipping
~contributed by Ken Moen, from the Leibrand, Whiteis, Private Collection

~*~*~

St. Sgt. Mark Royden Throntveit, son of George and Martha Throntveit was born September 24, 1920. He graduated from Scarville high school in May, 1938 and entered the army on June 12, 1942. He died July 27, 1944 and is buried at the U.S. Military cemetery, St. Laurent, France.

~information from the Scarville book, pg 28
~contributed by Ken Moen

~*~*~

Staff Sergeant Mark R. Throntveit

U.S. Army, 304th Engineer Combat Battalion, 79th Infantry Division
Serial #37435118
Entered service from Iowa
Died July 27, 1944
Buried in Plot C, Row 26, Grave 39, Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer, France
Awards: Bronze Star & Purple Heart

~American Battle Monuments Commission website

~*~*~

This Mother Knows Price of Victory

With three sons taking part in the Invasion of France, a Lake Mills, Iowa mother, Mrs. Martha Throntveit, knows the high cost of victory. A message last week from the war department in formed her that her son, Pvt. Thomas Throntveit, had been seriously wounded in France on August 5. He is now in a hospital in England with his right arm in a cast. In July Mrs. Throntveit received word that another son, S. Sgt. Carl Throntveit had been wounded in France June 23, and on August 11, a telegram stated her third son, S. Sgt. Mark Throntveit, had been killed in action in France July 27. A fourth son, Telford, is serving in the navy.

~Evening Tribune, Albert Lea, Minn., August 31, 1944
~contributed by S. Ferrall

~*~*~

Throntveit Brothers

A number of citizens of Freeborn county know the Throntveit brothers of Scarville, Iowa. One of the three brothers to fall before enemy fire in France, Pvt. Thomas Throntveit, 19-year-old Scarville infantryman, is now receiving specialized medical care for his wounds at Bushnell General hospital, Brigham City, Utah. One of his brothers, Staff Sgt. Mark Throntveit, serving with the medics, was killed in France, and a second brother, Staff Sgt. Carl Throntveit, has also been wounded in France. A third brother, Storekeeper First Class Thelford Throntveit, is serving with the navy.

~Evening Tribune, Albert Lea, Minn., December 9, 1944
~contributed by S. Ferrall

~*~*~

Carl P. Throntveit

Camp Hood, Texas - 1st Lt. Carl P. Throntveit, Scarville, has been appointed public relations officer of the 614th tank destroyer battalion of the 2nd armored division, Camp Hood, Texas.

Lt. Throntveit has been in the army more than 5 1/2 years and served overseas with the 899th tank destroyer battalion for 29 months. He holds the following awards and decorations: Silver star, purple heart with 2 clusters, good conduct medal, American defense, European theater of operations ribbon with 6 bronze battle stars and one arrowhead for the invasion of Normandy. He was commissioned on the battlefield.

Lt. Throntveit attended the Scarville high school. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Throntveit, reside in Scarville.

~Mason City Globe-Gazette, September 10, 1946
~contributed by S. Ferrall

~photo of Carl P. Throntveit is from the private collection of the Leibrand Library in Forest City, published in the Winnebago-Hancock Summit, unknown date - contributed by Ken Moen

~*~*~

Miss Amelia Mathews of Temple, Texas, and Lt. Carl Throntveit were married June 7 at the Grace Presbyterian church by the Rev. Garland Shell. They will make their home in Temple, Texas, while Lt. Throntveit is stationed at Camp Hood. He has been in the army 6 years with 30 months overseas.

~Mason City Globe-Gazette, June 18, 1947
~contributed by S. Ferrall

~*~*~

Mrs. Martha Throntveit visited Capt. and Mrs. Carl Throntveit in Kansas City, Mo. Capt. Throntveit, who leaves very shortly for duties in Germany, came home with his mother for a few days' visit.

~Mason City Globe-Gazette, July 25, 1952
~contributed by S. Ferrall

~*~*~

Sheriff Vold received a call from Caramel, California Friday afternoon to deliver a death message to Mrs. Martha Throntveit at Scarville, her son, 53 year old Carl D. Throntveit, having passed away in that city. Funeral services were held at Scarville in the Immanuel Lutheran Church at 2 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. Mr. Throntveit was a retired major and formerly lived in this area.

~Buffalo Center Tribune, August 26, 1971
~contributed by S. Ferrall
~note: middle initial in the above newspaper entry was incorrect, his initial was 'P'.

Thomas M. Throntveit, Forest City, was appointed administrator of the estate of Carl P. Throntveit, deceased. Bond of $1000 was given.

~Rake Register, September 2, 1971
~contributed by S. Ferrall

California Death Index: Carl P. Trontveit [sic], SS#485037635, b. 02/26/1918 in Iowa, d. 08/17/1971 in Monterey, California

Obituary

Funeral services for Carl Throntveit, 53, a native of Scarville, were held Tuesday afternoon at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Scarville, with the Rev. Merlin E. Norris officiating.   Burial was in the church cemetery. Throntveit, a retired Army Major, died at the Retired Officers Quarters in Salinas, CA., Friday. After retiring from the service in 1963, he became manager of the Vista Village office of the First Security Bank of Boise, ID.   In 1968, he moved to Carmel,CA, where he held a similar position.

A son of George and Martha Throntveit, he was born Feb. 26, 1918.  He was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church, and confirmed at Salem Lutheran church, Lake Mills and attended the Scarville and Lake Mills schools and graduated from the Scarville High school in 1937. He enlisted in the service in 1941 and served for 23 years before retiring with the rank of Major.  During his army career, he served 8 campaigns in the European theatre of operations, receiving 15 awards and decorations.  These included the silver star, purple heart and the Belgian Forragere.   He served as commanding officer of a battalion of the 1st Infantry Div.

He was married to the former Amelia Matthews in 1947.  She preceded him in death in 1967. He is survived by a step daughter, Patricia Matthews, his mother at Scarville; a sister, Thea, Scarville; and 3 brothers, Tom, Webster City, Thelford, Chicago and Joe, Scarville. His father; a brother, Mark, killed in WWII, and two infant sisters preceded him in death.

~Lake Mills Graphic, April 25, 1971
~contributed by Ken Moen

~*~*~

Military Index
Index