Decatur Daily Democrat
Adams County, Indiana
November 18, 1944
LT. WAYNE MATCHETT IS
KILLED IN ACTION
Husband
of Berne Woman War Victim
First Lt. Wayne
Matchett, 28, formerly of Portland, husband of Mrs. Clara
Steury-Matchett of Berne, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David
Steury, was killed in action in Germany on November 2, the
wife was notified yesterday.
Lt. Matchett had written to his wife on November 1, and she
had read his letter just a few minutes before receiving the
telegram notifying her of her husband's death.
The Portland army officer was with General Patton's army and
had seen much overseas service. He entered the army in April
1941 and was promoted to sergeant, before being commissioned
a second lieutenant. Last March he was advanced to first
lieutenant.
Lt. Matchett
was born in Jay county, Nov. 30, 1916. Besides his wife,
survivors include an eight-months-old daughter and his
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Matchett of Jay county.
Wayne Matchett
(102191075)
Suggested edit:
Handwritten-Wed. March 31, 1948
BODIES OF FOUR COUNTY
WAR DEAD ARRIVE IN U.S.
Remains of Lt. Wayne M.
Matchett Arrive at New York
The bodies of four more
Adams County World War II dead have arrived in New York form
overseas cemeteries for permanent burial in this country.
The four are: First Lt. Wayne Myron Matchett, Sec. Lt.
Beulah I Barkley, Pvt. William E. Sheets and Cpl. Shelby M.
Faulkner.
The body of Lt. Matchett
arrived in New York yesterday on the transport Robert F.
Burns, from the United States Military Cemetery at Henri
Chapelle, Belgium. Lt. Matchett was the husband of Mrs.
Clara Steury Matchett. The body will be taken to the ??
Williamson Funeral Home in Portland and burial will be made
near Salamonia, in Madison Township, Jay County, birthplace
of Lt. Matchett. The date and details for the funeral have
not been made, pending the arrival of the body at Portland.
Lt. Matchett was killed
in Germany November 2, 1944. He was a member of Company A.
86th Chemical Warfare with Patton's Fifty Army. He enlisted
April 11, 1941. Lt. Matchett was born in Madison Township,
Jay County, Nov. 30, 1916 and was 27 years old at the time
of his death. He was the son of Walter and Mayme Smitley
Matchett. He was married to Clara Steruy August 24, 1942.
Surviving are the widow
and a daughter, Patricia Lynn of north of Berne; the
parents, of Madison Township, Jay County, and the following
brothers and sisters: Elbert F., Marvin, Lewis E., all of
Madison Township; Mrs. Edith St. John and Mrs. Frances
Rutlege, both of Muncie, and Inez J., Bobbie D. and Janet
Lee, all at home.
The U. S. Army transport
Robert F. Burns also brought the bodies of Pvt. Sheets from
the U. S. Military Cemetery at Epinal, France and that of
Cpl. Faulkner from Henry Chapelle, Belgium. Lt. Beulah I.
Barkley was transported from France.
Killed in Action
Pfc. Sheets was killed
in action in France on November 15, 1944. He had been in
France about a month before his death, going overseas the
previous October. He entered service with the army in March,
1944, and took basic training at Camp Farnin, Tex., and Fort
Bragg, N. C. He attended the Monroeville High School and
before entering service was employed at the Schafer
Wholesale Company. A brother, T-5 Robert Sheets, also served
in France.
Survivors include the
parents, four brothers; Robert at home, T-5 Glenn, stationed
in Nuernberg, Germany; Richard and Buddy at home; three
sisters, Mrs. R. C. Warren and Betty of Lake Park, Ga., and
Elizabeth at home.
Killed in Germany
Cpl. Faulkner was killed
in action in Germany on October 12, 1944, while serving with
the First Army in the northern part of that country. He was
graduated from Bluffton High School and was employed by the
Wayne Pump Co., in Fort Wayne before entering service.
He entered the army in
December, 1942, and took basic training at Fort Benning, Ga.
He went overseas in June 1944 and saw service in France,
Holland, Belgium and Germany. A brother, Everett Faulkner,
who served in the ETO with the Air Forces, is now a resident
in Decatur. The brother and parents Mr. and Mrs. Everett
Faulkner, are survivors.
Dies in France
Lt. Barkley, who died in
France on July 27, 1944, was the first Adams County woman to
lose her life in World War II while serving her country. She
was a graduate of Monroeville High school and of the
Lutheran Hospital Nurses' School, Fort Wayne. She was a
staff member for the Adams County Memorial Hospital before
entering the Army Nurses' Corps in March, 1943, and being
called to active duty June 1, 1943. After basic training at
Fort Knox, Ky., she was transferred to Camp Forrest, Tenn.
and then went to England in February, 1944, and to France in
July of that year.
Surviving are the
mother, Mrs. Jacob Barkley; three sisters, Mrs. Forrest
Walton, Mrs. Stephen Myers and Mrs. Donald Brown and two
brothers, Ivan and Lawrence Barkley.
Adams County, Indiana
Historical Museum "1947Dec-Apr1948 Scrapbook"
Image 45
Transcribed by
Janice Vasilovski
Contributor: Karin King
(47469179)
Wayne Matchett
(102191075)
Suggested edit:
Handwritten-Mon. March 29, 1948
Body of Lt. Wayne
Matchett En route to United States
Mrs. Clara Matchett of
north of Berne received a telegram from the government
Friday telling her that the body of her husband, the late
First Lt. Wayne B. Matchett is now in route to the states
for burial here. Lt. Matchett was killed in Germany Nov. 2,
1944. He was serving with Gen. Patton in the U. S. Fifth
Army at the time of his death. His body had been interred in
the U. S. Military Cemetery in Belgium since then.
Further details on the
burial plans will be given after the body arrives in the
states. Mrs. Matchett and daughter Patty Lynn reside with
her parents, Mr. and Mrs. David P. Steury.
Adams County, Indiana
Historical Museum "1947Dec-Apr1948 Scrapbook"
Image 45
Transcribed by
Janice Vasilovski
Contributor: Karin King
(47469179)