Official word was received in Toulon this week of two Stark county men killed in action in two different battle zones. Pfc. Robert Winter, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Winter, Jr., of LaFayette, was killed January 5 in Luxemburg, and Pfc. Robert Drinnin, of Wyoming, was killed December 26 in the Netherlands, East Indies.

George S. Walker, of this city, was notified that his grandson, Pfc. John M. Walker Jr., of Zanesville, Ohio, has been missing since January 12. He is the only child of Mr. and Mrs. John Walker and is well known to local people.

Word was received that three were wounded in the European area. They are Sergeant Charles Wilkinson, of Wyoming, who was wounded in December; Pfc. George W. Hackwith, who was wounded January 13 in France, and Private William Boldman Sr., who was wounded January 14 in Belgium.

Word was received Friday from the War Department that Pfc. Robert L. Drinnin, of Wyoming, who was stationed with the infantry, was killed in action December 26 on Morotas Island, in the Netherlands, East Indies.

Pfc. Drinnin had been in the army since October 10, 1942, and overseas for two years of that time. Before going overseas he was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington, and on desert maneuvers in California and after being sent out was in the Hawaiian Islands and on New Guinea. He had never been home since going into the service.

Robert Drinnin, son of Lawrence and Mabel Robinson Drinnin, was born May 8, 1922, near Wyoming. He attended the Wyoming schools and at the time of going into the army was employed as a truck driver by Lavirn Stisser, of Wyoming.

He was married October 3, 1942, to Miss Maxine Cantwell, of Toulon, who with their 20-minths-old daughter, Roberta Lee, survives. Pfc. Drinnin had never seen his daughter.

He is also survived by his father, Lawrence Drinnin, of Minneapolis; his grandmother, Mrs. Addie Robinson, of this city, and the following brothers and sisters: Mrs. Louise Stotler, of the Jug Run vicinity; Mrs. Marjorie Carter, of Wyoming; Mrs. Isabelle White, of Peoria; Miss Helen Drinnin, of Minneapolis; John R. Drinnin, seaman first class in the navy in the Southwest Pacific, and William Clyde Drinnin, of Wyoming, who is a student at Bradley College in Peoria and has passed his exam for induction. Also surviving are five half-brothers and three half-sisters, of Minneapolis. His mother passed away a number of years ago.

[The article continues with the discussion of the death of Pfc. Robert Winter of LaFayette and more about the three men who were wounded.]

On page 7 of this issue is a picture of Pfc. Robert L. Drinnin with the following headline and caption:

Husband of Mrs. Maxine Cantwell Drinnin and grandson of Mrs. Addie Robinson, of this city, who was killed December 26 in action on Morotas Island in the East Indies.

[From The Stark County News, Toulon, Illinois, Wednesday, February 16, 1949, p. 5, col. 1]

Private funeral services for Pfc. Robert L. Drinnin, of Wyoming, were held at 2:30 Sunday afternoon at the Cox Memorial Home in that city. Rev. A. R. Stowell, pastor of Wyoming Congregational church, was in charge.

Military services were conducted by Wyoming Post of American Legion at 3 o’clock at the graveside in Toulon cemetery.

Bearers were William Dison, Kenneth Dison, Howard Moak, Wilbur Robbins, Donald Ryan and Harold Thomas, a buddy who was with Robert when he was killed on Moratai island.

Color bearers were Shafter Meyers and Gene Elliott; color guards, Charles Sliver and Dean Burwell; firing squad, Elmer Hendrick, Duane Leadley, Warner Bickett, Don Hedgwood, Ralph Ryan, John Gavin, Merlin Wilkinson and Gene Lukehart; bugler, Richard K. Howeler; folding of colors, John Beck and John Sullivan; commander of the firing squad, Thomas B. Malone; honor guard, James Traphagan and Charles Wilson, the last of Toulon. Mr. Wilson was on Moratai also when Mr. Drinnin met death.

Private First Class Drinnin was killed in action on Moratai island in The Netherlands East Indies group December 26, 1944. He was a member of the 136^th Infantry of the famous 133^rd Division. He served in the army for two and one-half years, two of which were spent in the Pacific theater.

The body arrived in Wyoming at 9:30 Saturday morning and was met by a military escort.

The son of Lawrence Drinnin, of Minneapolis and the late Mabel Drinnin, he was born May 8, 1922. He attended local school. On October 3, 1942, he was married to Maxine Cantwell, of Toulon. One daughter, Roberta, was born, but she never saw her father.

Surviving are his father; the daughter, four sisters, Mrs. Louise Stotler, of Camp Grove; Mrs. Marjorie Carter, of Wyoming; Mrs. Isabel White, Longview, Texas; and Miss Helen Drinnin, of Peoria. Also surviving are two brothers, John R. and William, both of Peoria; five half brothers, and three half sisters.

He was preceded in death by his mother.

[From The Stark County News, Toulon, Illinois, Wednesday, May 2, 1945, p. 10, col. 1]

Memorial services for Pfc. Robert Drinnin, who was killed in action December 26 on Morotai, in the South Pacific, will be held at 3 o’clock Tuesday afternoon at Wyoming Methodist church. The services, which are being held on his 24^th birthday, will be in charge of Rev. C. R. Nicholas and Mrs. Orville Down will sing "My Buddy" and "the Lord’s Prayer."

Following the services they will come to the Toulon cemetery where his relatives will set a dwarf yew tree at his mother’s grave in Pfc. Drinnin’s memory. Taps will be sounded at the cemetery by Miss Joan Ogburn.

Pfc. Drinnin was married October 3, 1931, to Miss Maxine Cantwell, of this city, and to them was born a daughter, Roberta, now two years old, whom he had never seen.

He is also survived by his father, Lawrence Drinnin, of Minneapolis; his grandmother, Mrs. Addie Robinson, of this city; four sisters, two brothers, and five half-brothers and three half-sisters. His mother passed away a number of years ago.

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