DEAR SUN SPOTS: Searching the American Battle Monuments Commission site for overseas burials of US servicemen, I found information on four of the men mentioned by Joan in the May 27 Sun Spots for a Sabattus American Legion Post project.
Alphee Caron, Emilien Fontaine and Adrien Roux are all buried at St. Peter’s Cemetery in Lewiston. Clarence Tyler is memorialized at the Honolulu Memorial in Hawaii.
There was no information on Lewis V. Flanders on either site. Interestingly, though, there is a Lewis V. Nason from Bath, ME, who died in WWII and is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery.
The commission web address is www.abmc.gov/database-search. The Find A Grave web site https is www.findagrave.com — No name, New Gloucester
ANSWER: Read on for more information:
DEAR SUN SPOTS: Below is a web page of PFC Lewis Vernon Flanders listing parents and showing a photo of Lewis’ Headstone Appl. with reference to ‘Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster.’
I believe this to be a record of the same Lewis’ marriage to Isabel Levensailor in Sangerville on Jan. 31, 1932.
Marriage Record of Lewis V. FLANDERS & Isabel M. LEVENSAILOR Sangerville, Maine Sunday, 31 Jan. 1932
This SS record shows a Wendall Jefferson Flanders born to Lewis V. Flanders and Isobel M. Levensailor on 21 Aug. 1932 in East Dover, Maine.
Social Security Record of Wendall Jefferson Flanders 1932 Birth to Lewis V. Flanders and Isobel M. Levensailor. This SS record does not include a death record for Wendall, which should be the case. Otherwise this should not be public record.
However, the 1940 census shows Lewis and Isabel living with his parents; Roy and Gladys, without a child: 1940 Census Sangerville, Maine
Lewis V. Flanders military, United States World War II Army Enlistment Records dated 09 April 1943 at Bangor, Maine, states marital status “separated, without dependents.”
Lewis V. Flanders Military, United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946
The names, dates and residences indicate this being the same couple, but the birth of Wendall indicates conflict of the records.
Interestingly, I did locate a Find A Grave memorial of one Wendall J. Flanders 23 Aug. 1932, to 27 Jan. 2005, (aged 72) burial Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery Exeter, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA PLOT Section I-6 Row 9.
The birth data is off by two days so technically it is not a match.
In conclusion, I could not locate an obituary, but I believe Lewis’ Find A Grave source with parents is the correct individual. The rest of the data is not substantiated and may be incorrect.
The records above can be seen at familysearch.com, if one wishes to create a sign-in at this free, open-access site.
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/sources/GMKR-WBS
God bless all our fallen heroes and kudos to all the veterans’ groups that keep their memories alive. Thank you for your column. — No name, Jay
ANSWER: Thank you both for providing this information in such a timely manner. I’m sure Joan is most grateful and now she can add this to what was sent previously.
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