Memorial for Bruce Weill

Firstly, I would like apologize for my loooong absence here. Moving across the country is rough, time-consuming, draining, and generally a thing that one needs time to recover from. I do not recommend it for those who are easily taxed. On this Memorial Day, I just wanted to share a link that my mother posted to my Uncle Bruce's Memorial page. Thank you to all who served.

The family photos made it across the country with me. I left behind my old scanner/printer only to find a new one on the street recently (that works!). So, scanning of documents will continue, but at a fairly slow pace perhaps.

Below is a scan of Bruce's (my uncle) letter home that Ana (my mother) describes in her memorial post. He also mentions my father's mother, Mary Heichelbech, in his letter.

Mom's house featured in the homes section of the paper

Not related to genealogy, but Mom's house was recently featured in the local paper. I've created a flickr account and scans of it can be found there.

 

 

 

 

 

My flickr is here

Happy Birthday, Mom!

I love my mom so much. She has been so great in explaining our histories again and again, giving me pictures to scan, and is generally a good sport about most everything.

Ana, about 1945

Ana, 1954, this is the pic that Ruth Stemm based a watercolor on

Ana, 1952, reprinted in 1972 apparently

Ana (and friend) 1951

Ana in Pennsylvania, around 1951

Sometimes, I feel that I'm nothing like my mother. Then, I'll see a photo (like the one directly above) of her and see my own face looking back.  Sometimes, I feel I'm never so like her as when I'm at my most graceful.

Left: Ana joking around, unknown date Right: 1951 Frackville PA

Ana, 1961

Ana, about 1997

Thanks for being my mom and thanks for helping with this genealogy stuff!

John Bruce Weill

Bruce Weill was my uncle, son of Mary Lura Morgan and John Menaugh. Mary and John were married around 1946, after she divorced Ernest A. Weill III. She and John split around 1948, and she later got back with EAWIII.

Bruce, about 1949, back of photo says he's 2 yrs old

Bruce was born May 20, 1947. He placed on the Asperger spectrum, although Ana can speak more freely about his symptoms. Around 1963, EAWIII adopted Bruce and his last name became Weill.

Ana and Bruce in Pennsylvania, about 1949--this is the photo that Jude's pen and ink drawing is based on.

He entered the army and served in Vietnam. He started his tour in September of 1967. He died on March 24, 1968 in Hau Nghia Province, South Vietnam. The report on his service and death can be seen on any number of Vietnam Veteran's sites, like this one.  You can click on 'see full profile' to see more about his mission.

John Bruce Weill in uniform, about 1966/67, hand-tinted photo, by a Des Moines photographer

 He was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, Vietnam Service, Good Conduct, and National Defense Medals.

I do not have an original newspaper clipping of his obituary. I do have this clipping about his Bronze Star, though.

He was a rifleman and specialist