If you haven’t taken an up-close look at the war memorial near the entrance of Mission Point Lighthouse, today is a great time to do it.
Erected by Cherry Center Grange No. 1850, this war memorial is “in honor of the boys and girls of Peninsula Town who served in World War One and Two,” notes one of the plaques on the memorial. Old Mission Peninsula resident Jim Hilt restored the memorial some years ago.
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I’ve included photos of the memorial below, and you’ll see names of all the folks who went off to war while their families kept the home fires burning on the Old Mission Peninsula. Andrus, Boursaw, Dohm, Lardie, Buchan, Johnson, Carroll, DeVol, Gore, Kroupa, Lardie, Tompkins and Manigold are just a few of the names listed on the memorial. Not only did they serve in the military, but these are the families who laid the foundation of the Old Mission Peninsula that we live on today.
On a personal level, my husband Tim and I are honored to have our own family listed on the memorial, including his dad Tug Boursaw (WWII), my dad Walter Johnson (WWII), my uncle Guy Johnson (WWII), and my grandma Stella Johnson’s first husband, Frank Edgecomb (WWI).
Do you have friends and relatives listed on the memorial? Tell us in the comments section at the bottom of this story.
Note that Walter Widdis is on both list as serving in both World Wars. My dad, Jim Wilson, told the story that Walter (my dad’s first cousin) reported for basic training in World War II and the drill sergeant recognized that this recruit knew the drill. After questioning Walter, who had served in France in World War I, the sergeant made arrangements for Walter to be released, provided he could find a civilian job supporting the war effort. Walter worked for Wilson Orchards during the rest of the war.
Thanks for the note, Helen! What a story. So was Walter’s age the reason that the sergeant arranged for him to be released? You don’t hear of many people fighting in both WWI and WWII.
yes, his age-in his 40’s- plus the fact that he had already fought one war.
There were several names on the memorial that were my relatives; my Dad, Lorrie Schavey, and my uncles; Forrest Schavey, Lawrence (Bud) Andrus, and Jacob Fisher. Most of them were present and participated in the building of the memorial and its dedication. I have a CD of the dedication ceremony. Wish that there was a way to share that.
I so enjoy all your articles of the past life on the peninsula. Thank you and speedy recovery to your husband, Tim. His Grandfather, Garret and his other sons, used to help my mom with the orchards while Dad was gone in the Navy. Kindness. ❤️
Thanks for the note, Jan! And for your kind words about the Boursaw clan – they continue to be awesome.
And I would LOVE to get my hands on that dedication ceremony CD! I think I could probably upload it to the Gazette’s YouTube channel and post it from there. I’ll email you.
Wonderful! My grandfather Robert Pheatt and great-uncle Burton Pheatt are honored on this memorial. My husband and I will be visiting from San Francisco, CA this August. We are excited to see this in person!
Hi Jane, Gordon Valley was my Mom’s dad. We’ll also claim Thomas Valley and all the Fowlers. Neat stuff. Thanks so much for putting all that work into this and sharing.
My family also owned cherry farms .My grandfather Victor D Helferich is also listed on the WWII memorial
[…] Also, if you’re familiar with the War Memorial located at the end of Center Road near Mission Point Lighthouse, you can thank Jim for that. Built by the Cherry Center Grange No. 1850, Jim was responsible for restoring the memorial some years ago. Read more about it here. […]