FARMER, LEROY Dec 1, 1944 age 28 KIA Cape Merkus

 DAVID LEROY FARMER b. Sept 25, 1921 d. Dec 1, 1944 Killed in Action France

Sgt 36577084 Army 314^th Inf Reg 79^th Inf Div

Buried: Epinal American Cemetery, France

Parents: Robert Joseph & Sarah (Beattie)

Sibling: Frank Robert
Spouse: Antoinette ?

I really don't know if this is the information for the LeRoy who once was a student at Redford. In doing research assumptions need to be made and information compiled from what makes the most sense. Many names are not at all unique lending to confusion especially when other sources can't be found. Michigan casualty listing has both a Leroy D. Farmer killed 2-20-45 France and a David L. Farmer dead 2-12-45 Europe, both Sergeants and from Detroit. So which is listed on the plaque? Census data has a David and then a Leroy living at various times with Robert Farmer. It remains to simply gather the info, fit the most likely pieces together and create a scenario reflective of Detroit at the time in question. 

The family history is again the American pattern of moving westward. Robert Joseph was born 1881 in Buffalo, and in 1918 registered for the draft as a single male, living in Detroit and notify party was a sister, Mrs. Carr, in Toledo. Before the war he lived with them in Buffalo. Until he death he worked for the Detroit Street Railways.

Wife Sarah was born in Ireland and may have come over 1912 as a servant to join her brother in Dwight, Ill. An interesting side note about her voyage is the boat – the S.S. Lusitania, but this was before the outbreak of war in Europe. (Sarah Beattie turns out to be quite a common name and several came from Ireland.) Older son Frank was born 1914 in Detroit; not clear why Robert was single on his 1918 draft registration.

Around the 1930’s the family lived in Royal Oak, but moved to Detroit when Sarah died in Detroit in 1937 of pneumonia; Robert died 1941 of a heart attack. By 1940 Robert is listed with LeRoy at 90 Hazelwood in the downtown area, an apartment building, but no trace of it remains.

Hi-Y Gray Ch. Row 2 4th from right

Outpost Paper-Back row 3rd from left

So how it is LeRoy attended Redford? He and his widowed father lived around the corner from Northern High. Leroy graduated January 1941, very active in school clubs and sports. He registered for the draft Feb 16. 1942, a strapping 228 lbs at 5’1” which doesn’t correspond at all to his height in yearbook photo, however brother Frank Robert Farmer is given as next of kin.

 

Back row 4th from right

I particularly like the football squad photo - they all look so scruffy!

The unit in which a David Leroy served fought thru Hagenau in Dec. 1944 and into the Siegfried Line a system of pillboxes and strongpoints along the German western front that dated back to WWI. He received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart with Oak Leaf cluster.

On Feb 20, 1945 casualty list an Antoinette is listed as the wife of Sgt. D. Leroy Farmer killed in France (but her marriage certificate has the groom’s mother’s maiden name as Welch). Later that year in Aug. Antoinette given a posthumous decoration as the wife of David L. Farmer, address 20015 Derby. That was the address of brother Frank Robert.

What can I say…let any and all David LeRoy soldiers rest in peace.