Feature Stories from the Star Eagle pages.
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By COLBY ROOT
Contributing writer
Introduction
Between January 1942 and December 1972, the Hound Street family of Burchard Bailey Root, (born 1889) and Esther (Gehring) Root (born 1900) was greatly affected by WWII and the conflicts which followed. Of the couple’s seven sons, five served in the US military. Of the two who did not, one had died shortly after birth; the other sacrificed his wishes of fighting in Korea to the responsibility of maintaining the home farm during a time of family crisis. In order of age, the brothers are: Vern Russell Root born in 1921, US Navy WWII; Marvin “Hans” “Tiger” Curtis Root, born 1923, US Navy, WWII, Korea, Vietnam; William “Bill” Burchard Root, born 1927, US Navy WWII, US Army Occupation of Germany and Vietnam War; Donald Jack Root, born and died 1928; Orville “Buck” Keith Root, 1931 farmer; Gene “Buzz” Harlan Root born 1933, US Marines, Korean Conflict; and David Wayne Root born 1938, US Navy 1956 to 1959.
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By COLBY ROOT
Contributing writer
Introduction
Between January 1942 and December 1972, five of Burchard Bailey Root, born 1889 and Esther (Gehring) Root, born 1900, five of seven sons served in the US military. Of the two who didn’t serve, one died shortly after birth and the other sacrificed his wishes of fighting in Korea to the responsibility of maintaining the home farm during a time of family crisis. In order of age, the brothers are: Vern Russell Root born in 1921, US Navy WWII; Marvin “Hans” “Tiger” Curtis Root, born 1923, US Navy, WWII, Korea, Vietnam; William “Bill” Burchard Root, born 1927, US Navy WWII, US Army Occupation of Germany and Vietnam War; Donald Jack Root, born and died 1928; Orville “Buck” Keith Root, 1931 farmer; Gene “Buzz” Harlan Root born 1933, US Marines, Korean Conflict; and David Wayne Root born 1938, US Navy 1956 to 1959.
William Burchard Root
The third son of Hound Street residents Esther and Burchard Root to sign up for the Navy during WWII was William “Bill” Burchard Root, who turned 18 on February 26, 1945. He signed up just in time to chase his brothers into the Pacific arena and be part of the action. After boot camp, Bill was assigned to serve on the USS Gordonia, a stores ship in the Gulf of Mexico. In June of 1945, it left Mobile Alabama with frozen stores for the fleet in the Pacific. After passing through the Panama Canal, it crossed the Pacific and arrived in Oahu on July 1, 1945.
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By ELI LUTGENS
Publisher/Editor
About 100 hungry area residents helped themselves to tacos, company, and raffle tickets by about the midway point of the Ellendale area food shelf annual donation drive on Sunday, April 23 at Ellendale United Methodist Church.
Event workers included some of the nearly two dozen food shelf volunteers, who help with the food shelf throughout the year. Also helping were Ellendale area Boy Scouts from Troop 7 out of Albert Lea.
They were NRHEG freshmen: Wyatt Larson, Jordan Brouwers, Jacob Karl and Devon Nelton.
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Part 2 of 5, family historyBy COLBY ROOT
Contributing writer
On July 17, 1944, Torpedoman Third Class Marvin “Hans” Root walked up the driveway to the Root farm off of Hound Street north of New Richland. Dressed in his Navy whites, he surprised his mom and dad, Esther and Burchard Root, along with his eight brothers and sisters still on the home farm. No one there had heard from him for almost two years; all had begun to wonder what had happened. Had his ship been destroyed by a Japanese torpedo? Had it run into a sea mine and gone down in some far-flung reaches of the Pacific? His rare letters home had stopped coming since before he had even been assigned a ship. Was he dead? The family had even placed inquiries about him with the Red Cross.
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For the next five weeks leading up to Memorial Day, the Star Eagle will present an article a week attempting to reconstruct the military history of five brothers from a farm near New Richland, Minnesota. Each article will focus on one brother and their service as can be determined based on incomplete research, conjecture, and the fading memories of surviving siblings. Those who know more about the boys and their military history are welcome to share their insight with the Star Eagle.
By COLBY ROOT
Contributing writer
Introduction
Between January 1942 and December 1972, five of Burchard Bailey Root, born 1889 and Esther (Gehring) Root, born 1900, five of seven sons served in the US military. Of the two who didn’t serve, one died shortly after birth and the other sacrificed his wishes of fighting in Korea to the responsibility of maintaining the home farm during a time of family crisis. In order of age, the brothers are: Vern Russell Root born in 1921, US Navy WWII; Marvin “Hans” “Tiger” Curtis Root, born 1923, US Navy, WWII, Korea, Vietnam; William “Bill” Burchard Root, born 1927, US Navy WWII, US Army Occupation of Germany and Vietnam War; Donald Jack Root, born and died 1928; Orville “Buck” Keith Root, 1931 farmer; Gene “Buzz” Harlan Root born 1933, US Marines, Korean Conflict; and David Wayne Root born 1938, US Navy 1956 to 1959.