Sgt. John C.F. Onken, a nephew of John Heyen of Langworthy and Mrs, J.C. Balster of Scotch Grove, was killed in action in France on D-Day, June 6. He was a member of the infantry and had entered the service in January, 1941.
He had a furlough last summer and visited with his uncle and aunt before he went to England last winter. Sgt. Onken wrote regularly to his uncle, and letters were received from him recently.
He was unmarried and had returned to the United States from Germany with his brother, Edward, in 1927. Both of these boys had become naturalized and received their citizenship papers. Edward is in the United States Army and when last heard from a year ago was serving in England.
Sgt. Onken was a son of the late Mr. and Mrs, Onken and was born near Chicago Sept. 5, 1912. When he was two years old, the family returned to Germany, where his father was killed in the last week of World War I while serving with the German army. Later, the mother died.
Survivors of Sgt. Onken include his brother in the United States army in England; two sisters, Helen and Evalena in Germany; his uncle John Heyen, and aunt, Mrs. J.C. Balster.
The telegram from the War department announcing of Sgt. Onken was received by John Heyen July 4.
Source: The Monticello Express, Monticello, Iowa, July 6, 1944, Front Page
RETURN OF BODY OF JOHN C.F. ONKEN FROM BRITISH MILITARY CEMETERY.
Funeral services for Sgt. John C.F. Onken, brother of Edward H. Onken, now of Peotone, Ill, were held Sunday. July 25, at Peotone. Sgt. Onken and his brother will be remembered by many of this vicinity, having made their home with their great uncle, John Heyen, in Langworthy for many years.
The information was given the Express by Edward, who has been visiting in the Heyen home the past week. Sgt. Onken was killed in action overseas on June 6, "D" Day. He was buried in France and later moved to the Brookwood Temporary Military Cemetery in the British Isles.
He was born Sept. 1, 1912, in Peotone, the son of Mr. and John Onken, Sr. In 1914 he returned with his family to Germany to make their home.
His father was killed in action in World War I and is buried in France. In May of 1929, John and Edward returned to this country and made their home in Langworthy.
John entered the army on January 14, 1941 and served with the 4th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron at Forth Meade, S.D. He served overseas for 4 months before he was reported "missing in action" on "D" Day.
Surviving in addition to his brother are two sisters living in Germany. His mother died on December 31, 1936 in Germany. At 4 AM on June 6th, Onken and his fellow U.S. Cavalry troops were tasked with clearing two small islands off the Normandy coast of possible Nazi gun positions or enemy lookouts. "They didn't find any Germans, but they did run into mine fields. Two men were killed and one of them was John Onken." The other was Anton Elvesaeter a Norwegian born soldier who is buried in the Normandy American Cemetery.
Source: THE MONTICELLO EXPRESS, MONTICELLO, IOWA, SEPT 2, 1948, FRONT PAGE.
John C. F. Onken was born Sept. 1, 1912 to John and Johanna Reents Onken. He died June 6, 1944 and is buried in Peotone Cemetery, Peotone, IL.
Sgt. Onken served in World War II with the U.S. Army 4th Cavalry Reconnaissance Group and was KIA in France.
Source: ancestry.com
