Charles L. Fry ~ 1942-2019

United States Army (1960-1963) – B Company, 122nd Ordnance Battalion Charles Fry, or “Charlie” as many knew him, was born and raised on a farm near Mendon, MO. He went to school in Marceline, MO, and then in Keytesville, MO, where he graduated in 1960. After graduation, he enlisted in the United States Army and was stationed in Gelnhausen, Germany – a former German Wehrmacht town during the Nazi regime that became a U.S. Army garrison town and tourist site after World War II. His battalion provided support and supplies to neighboring Army bases, and some of his fellow soldiers went on to serve in Vietnam. Some of the newer bases were located near borders to countries such as the former Czechoslovakia and East Germany. During his enlistment, Charlie would see a lot of beautiful natural scenery with nearby mountains and traveling to several Western European countries, including Holland, Italy, and Austria. His favorite Bible passage – Psalm 121:1-2 – appeared on a tourist site placard when he saw the Alps, and it was one of his treasured off-duty memories. He was only in Paris for one day, yet he brought home many postcards, and mementos from there. Many of his buddies became lifelong friends, and their respective families would stay in touch for many years. What he didn’t expect to see – let alone read – was a “Dear John” letter from his high school sweetheart. The necklace displayed in the Zurcher Jewelry Box once held a mother-of-pearl cross, which he immediately gave to his best friend who has it to this day. Upon returning to the family farm in Mendon, Charlie often ran errands for his father, which included trips to Marceline State Bank (now Regional Missouri Bank-Downtown Marceline). One day, in the window, he caught sight of a brunette who worked in the accounting department. He later married Linda Switzer on July 19, 1964, and two years later arrived their only daughter, Robin. Charlie worked for Walsworth Publishing Company, provided custodial services for two churches and the local bank, and worked as an Air Evac membership consultant. His family took seasonal trips and enjoyed attending crafts festivals as vendors selling a variety of baked goods, candies, and relishes. He was an avid Marceline Tiger football and basketball fan, and he and his daughter enjoyed traveling and attending car shows after Linda’s passing in 2010. Charlie had a strong love for his country and for serving in the U.S. Army, and afterward he often thanked veterans for their service – a tradition that Robin has continued since his passing after a sudden ice accident in 2019.

Marvin Lyle Franklin, Jr. (1945 -1967)

US Army, 1965-1967 Tomb Position: Assistant Relief Commander, Sentinel Marvin “Lyle” Franklin Jr., 22, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, entered into eternal rest on August 31, 1967. He was born on July 15, 1945 in Oklahoma City, where he graduated from Putnam City High School in 1963. He was a member of the loway Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, the Putnam City Methodist Church, and the Bethany Masonic Lodge where he served as Senior DeMolay. He was an automobile and woodworking enthusiast whose hobbies included rebuilding car engines and restoring furniture. In 1965, he enlisted in the United States Army. He was initially assigned to the 3rd Infantry Regiment “Old Guard”, where he served as a Sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from July 1966 until February 1967. After his service in the Old Guard, he was assigned to the 1st Calvary Division. He was killed in action at Binh Dinh, South Vietnam. Awards and Decorations: Lyle was the nephew of Theda Taylor of Marceline, cousin to Linda Taylor and Chris Ankeney. Of the many veterans on both sides of our family, Lyle was the only one who lost his life in service.

Erastus Taylor (1832-1909)

US Army, 1864-1865 Erastus Taylor was born in Elba, Genesee County, New York on December 24, 1832. On November 27, 1856 he married Elizabeth Malvina Howe, also of Elba. In 1858 they moved to western Wisconsin where Erastus farmed and taught school. Their first son, Manly Howe, was born February 25, 1859. January 16, 1862 another son, Winfield Scott, was born. On February 16, 1864 at the age of thirty-one, Erastus enlisted as a private in Company H, 6th Regiment of the Minnesota Volunteers. Erastus served on frontier duty (which consisted mostly of campaigns against hostile Indians in Minnesota) at Fort Ridgly, Minnesota. In June 1864, his Regiment moved to Helena, Arkansas until November at which time the Regiment moved to St. Louis. In July Erastus was hospitalized in Helena with small pox, and in September was sent to Jefferson Barracks where he remained until May, 1865. He was mustered out on August 19, 1865. In 1867 Erastus came to Linn County, Missouri by train, landing in Bucklin. He walked 6 miles across the prairie to see his old friend from New York, Josiah Phillips. Erastus, like Josiah, bought an 80 acre tract from the Burlington Railroad, bordering what would later become the city limits of Marceline. After a house was built Elizabeth and the 2 boys moved as well, and on March 16, 1870 a third son, William Erastus, was born. Erastus farmed, and as the community of pioneers grew he helped establish Locust Ridge School at which he taught. He also donated land for and helped to establish Elmwood Cemetery, and opened his home regularly to the Methodist circuit rider. The first Methodist Sunday School of the community was held at his house. Erastus was a member and officer of the Marceline Post No. 387, Department of Missouri, Grand Army of the Republic. He died January 20, 1909 and was buried in Elmwood Cemetery. In 1906 Elias Disney moved his family from Chicago to the 45 acre farm across the road from Erastus Taylor. Befriended by “grandpa” Erastus, young Walt Disney was entertained by his many stories of the Civil War. Walt Disney would later recall “I don’t think he was ever in a battle in the Civil War, but he was in all of them.” Several months after Erastus died in 1909 his house burned. It went up in a tremendous blaze and made a distinct impression on young Walt. The Disney family moved on to Kansas City in 1911. Erastus’ eldest son Manly Howe married his neighbor Bertha Phillips. Four of their five children spent their lives in Marceline – Jean P Taylor, Don B Taylor, Winifred Taylor McAllister and MH “Slick” Taylor, Jr.

Thomas Sebastian Francis James (1942 – ?)

US Army (1964 – 1966) Born during a WWII evening practice raid, green shades drawn, making his presence in total darkness, save a flashlight held by a nurse on Saturday, July 18, 4942 in Montour County, Pennsylvania. Tom was the second son of Sebastian and Loretta James. Baptized and Confirmed at Saint Edwards Catholic Church in Shamokin, PA. He attended Saint Edwards Primary School and earned his education from the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) Nuns. The senior class of 1960 were the first students to receive their diplomas from the newly built Our Lady of Lourdes High School. Tom was the drummer of the group Robin and the Red Vests in the 1950’s and early 1960’s. While attending college at Mount Saint Mary’s in Emmitsburg, Maryland, his draft number came up in 1964. He answered the call serving as a Military Policeman at Fort Sam Houston in Texas earning his Sharpshooter Badge (Rifle), and Marksman Badge (Pistol .45). Tom was honorably discharged at the end of March 1966. At which time he returned to Mount Saint Mary’s to complete his college education, graduating in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. Tom became a professional salesman and accepted a position with Herff Jones Yearbooks out of the Gettysburg, PA plant. Showing much success, Hu offered him a position as Area Manager, and then Northeast Regional Manager. It was during this reign he met his soon to be wife, Marilyn Flugum. The Midwest was calling Marilyn home, so Tom accepted the Plant Manager position in Marceline, Missouri, which he remained at until his retirement in December of 2010, ending a 35 year career with Hu. While his professional life undoubtedly displayed the marks of a consummate businessman, Tom concludes the most profound act of his life has been a good provider for his family.

William E Crane (1842-1905)

US Army, 1861-1864 My great, great uncle William E. Crane (and his twin sister, my great grandmother, Emma S. Crane) was born July 28, 1842 in New York City. He enlisted in September, 1861, was promoted to Full 1st Sergeant in January 1862, taken prisoner of war in July 1863, and mustered out in October 1864 at Harper’s Ferry, WV. He served in Company F, 94th Regiment of the New York Volunteers, 15 Brigade, 2nd Division, 9th Army Corps. I have copies of several letters between William and his sister Emma while he served. His sister Emma was married in 1862 to a William G Smith, who we presumed died in the war (researching a Smith isn’t easy). In 1866 Emma married Josiah Phillips in East Elba, New York. In 1868 Josiah, Emma and baby Bertha moved to Linn County, following their good friends from New York, Erastus and Elizabeth Taylor. They settled on property that today borders the northwest city limits of Marceline. Their daughter Bertha later married the eldest son of their friends and neighbors Erastus and Elizabeth Taylor, Manly Howe. In 1878 William E. Crane moved to Linn County, following his twin sister. He settled on 40 acres at the north edge of what became Marceline, and built the home that today is owned in trust by Kaye Johnson Malins. W. E. Crane died in November, 1905 and his estate was administered by my grandfather Manly Howe Taylor. The farm was sold to Elias Disney in the spring of 1906. W. E. Crane was buried at Elmwood Cemetery and later reinterred at Mt. Olivet in Marceline. In 1938 Walt Disney wrote for the Marceline newspaper, “I clearly remember the day we arrived there on the train. A Mr. Coffman met us in his wagon and we rode out to our house in the country just outside the city limits. I believe it was called the Crane farm. My first impression of it was that it had a beautiful front yard with lots of weeping willow trees.” If you also read the story of Erastus Taylor, you could surmise that the stories Erastus told young Walt Disney of the Civil War might have been stories of his neighbor and friend, W. E. Crane. Chris Taylor Ankeney

Todd Pollard (b.1967)

US Army, 1987-2014 Todd Pollard was born May 7, 1967, at Ft Leonard Wood, MO. He enlisted in the Army in February 1987. Attending Basic Training at Ft. Jackson, SC and Advanced Individual Training at Ft. Belvoir, VA. Upon graduation he was assigned to the 517″ Engineer Detachment, V Corps in Frankfurt, Germany serving as Squad Leader collecting ground reconnaissance of terrain data supporting the US General Defense Plan (GDP) against the former Warsaw Pact nations. In 1990, Todd Pollard was reassigned to 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX and deployed to Saudi Arabia and Iraq during Desert Shield/Desert Storm. In 1993 he returned to Germany with duty in Heidelberg. During this tour he again deployed with V Corps to Tazar, Hungary supporting the IFOR NATO mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina. In 1997, Todd was selected to be an instructor at the Defense Mapping School Ft Belvoir, VA. He instructed numerous Soldiers and Marines in Basic Terrain Analysis and contributed to course development, adaptation, and instruction of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) into the academy’s curriculum. His dedication as an instructor earned him the Master Instructor Badge. Todd was selected in 2002 to attend the Warrant Officer Candidate School with a subsequent assignment to Fort Bragg, NC serving as Terrain Analysis Technician for the 175″ Engineer Company, 30th Engineer Battalion (Topographic) (Army). He managed the production of Terrain Analysis products supporting 18th Airborne Corp contingency missions. In 2004 he deployed to Baghdad Iraq to serve as the MNC-I Geospatial Technician, where his platoon provided geospatial support to 18th Airborne Corp and units in the Iraq Theater of Operations. Todd advised the Corps commanders and battle staff on all geospatial services and tailored tactical decision aids supporting theater mission and intelligence processes. He returned from deployment to serve one more year at Ft Bragg, NC in the 100th Engineer Company, 30th Engineer Battalion (Topographic) (Army) maintaining the unit’s Map Production System and continuing support to OIF/OEF missions, FORSCOM, SOCOM, ARCENT, and CENTCOM. In February 2007, Todd took a Joint assignment in Madrid Spain to serve as the Deputy Geospatial Officer in the NATO Land Component Command. He deployed to ISAF HQ, Kabul Afghanistan serving as the Geospatial Officer for 13 months providing geospatial support and training to ISAF HQ. command staff, multi-national forces, and Afghan nationals. From March 2010 to August 2014, Todd was assigned to US Central Command where he served as Chief of the Geospatial Information & Services section supporting the CENTCOM AOR. In July 2014 Todd retired from the Army as a Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CW4) and received his highest military awards after 28 years of active service, the Legion of Merit, and the Army Corps of Engineer’s Bronze Order of the de Fleury Medal. He remains in Tampa, FL with his girlfriend Kathy (Malisos) Allwood. Todd holds two secondary degrees, graduating from Campbell University twice with Bachelor of Applied Science in Interdisciplinary Studies 2010 and a second in IT Security Management 2021. Todd has two sons, Jeffery Pollard currently living in Minnesota and Timothy Pollard who currently resides in Palmer, AK with his wife Holly and their daughter, Todd’s granddaughter, Delaney. Todd shares the joy of a second family with Kathy, that of her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter Glendon and Paige Allwood and little Miss Nora, all currently living in Millersburg, PA.

Lt. Colonel George Larry Pollard (b.1942)

US Army, 1966-1969 I joined the Army in 1966, serving in Vietnam and retired in 1992 from the Army Reserves. My first training took place at Fort Leonard Wood, MO and Fort Belvoir, VA, as an Army Engineer. I returned to Fort Leonard Wood for a year in 1967. I served in the 86″ Engineer Battalion in Vietnam, leaving active duty in 1969 and the Army Reserves in 1992. I was born April 9, 1942 at the downtown St. Francis Hospital in Marceline. Shortly after my birth, my parents George and Virlea Pollard moved back to San Diego, CA where they worked at Convair Aircraft Assembly Plan. Soon we were back in Missouri again. My brother Donald was born in 1943 in Chariton County, followed by my sisters Connie (1947) and Brenda (1952), born at St. Francis Hospital in Marceline after Dad returned from his Army tour in Germany in 1946. We lived on farms near Indian Grove. For a couple of elementary school years I went to country schools, graduating from Keytesville High School in 1960. From there I spent a year at Central Methodist College in Fayette. Bonnie Burch and I were married at the First Baptist Church in Marceline on August 30, 1964. I graduated from the University of Missouri in 1965. My civilian career was as a biologist with the USDA Soil Conservation Service, serving in several locations but most notably for many years in St. Paul, MN and retiring from Lincoln, NE USDA. Bonnie and I have two children, Todd and Karie Pollard Kjos. We also have six grandchildren and one great grandchild. We moved from Lincoln to what once was the farm of my grandparents Roy and Edna Pollard, one mile north of Indian Grove. We stay involved in our local communities, Zion United Methodist Church, and our families and friends.

George Edward Pollard, 1921-2016

US Army, 1945-1946 Corporal George E. Pollard was drafted and began his service in May 1945 untilJuly 1946. By the time George actually deployed to the war scene in 1945, thebattle at the European Front had come to an end and the American Forces wereleft to occupy the ravaged countries. George served in the 3 Army, 8th DivisionAnti-Aircraft Unit as a truck driver and in maintenance. George was originally sent to California for training and was being trained toparticipate in the invasion of Japan. With the invasion averted he was sent toGermany instead. He had lifetime memberships in both the American Legion andthe Veterans of Foreign Wars in Marceline. George, born January 19, 1921, the son of Roy Orville and Edna Stoner Pollard,grew up ona farm near Indian Grove. He and his sister Nina Ruth attended IndianGrove School through 8″ grade and graduated from Brunswick High School. Hemarried Virlea Winifred Graves on October 19, 1941 in Yuma, AZ. George and Virlea both worked for the Convair Aircraft Assembly Plant in SanDiego, CA in the early 1940’s, including December 7, 1941, the day the Japanesemilitary launched a surprise attack on the US Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.They later moved back to Chariton County and started raising a family. Georgewas drafted in 1945. After he returned back home they eventually settled downon a farm near Indian Grove to raise their children Larry, Donald, Connie andBrenda. The family all were members of First Zion Methodist Church, IndianGrove, and Marceline UMC. George received his 50 year UMC membership pin afew years before his death. George was a dirt contractor and dozer operator. His reputation as a greatbulldozer operator grew as did his business until his retirement in his mid-seventies. George E. Pollard died December 30, 2016, aged 95, in Marceline.