Francis F. Pitre

 1916 Crete, Illinois – 1942 Papua, New Guinea

 

 

Continuation of tree (4th child of Henri Joseph Pitre/Ruby M. Estey); all known surname descendants:

                 9          Francis F. Pitre  b: 2 January 1916  Crete, Will, IL; d: 30 November 1942  Papua, New Guinea

                                     +Margaret Catherine Klintworth  b: 29 January 1923  Crockery, Ottawa, MI; m: 22 November 1941  Grand Haven, Ottawa, MI [Fred M./Jessie R. Molyneux]; d: 25 October 2005  Spring Lake, Ottawa, MI

                               10        Patricia Ruth Pitre  b: 4 December 1942  Crockery, Ottawa, MI

                                             +Lawrence Allan Lathrop  b: 16 July 1942  Muskegon, Muskegon, MI; m: 10 December 1966  Muskegon, Muskegon, MI [Charles/Wanita Fern Hurlburt]; d: 10 October 2008  Muskegon, Muskegon, MI

 

 

Notes for Francis F. Pitre:

Census

- 1940 Grand Haven, Ottawa, Michigan:  John Henry Pitre 34 shaper/piano factory, wife Mary 29, John H. Jr. 12, father Henry 55 carpenter/construction.  Also, Ruby Pitre 51, Frank 24 barrelpo--/furniture co., Francis 24 inspector/furniture co., Bernice 22 sander/furniture co., Donald 18 pinsetter/bowling alley, Marcella 17 maid/housework.

 

- 1950 Spring Lake, Ottawa, MI:  Everett M. Cooper 27 automobile mechanic/automobile garage, wife Margaret C. 26, Patricia R. (Pitre) 7, David L. 5, James R. (Dec).

 

Misc.The Muskegon Chronicle (Muskegon, MI), Monday, 4 January 1943:  Grand Haven, Jan. 4 - News of the birth of his daughter, Patricia Ruth, four days after he is reported to be missing in action on the Southwest Pacific battle front, may never be received by Sgt. Francis Pitre of this city who with Sgt. Francis Pedelty of Ferrysburg, are most recently reported local war casualties.  Sgt. Pedelty is reported missing in action on the same day.  Local men were apparently in a serious engagement that day as John S. Olsen who was also in Company F, was seriously wounded Nov. 30 according to a war department telegram to his parents.  The telegrams announcing that Sgt. Pedelty and Sgt. Pitre are missing, arrived New Year's day.  Mrs. Pitre, the former Margaret Klintworth, to whom Sgt. Pitre was married Nov. 22, 1941, received word at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Klintworth in Crockery township, where she has made her home since Sgt. Pitre left for overseas.  Sgt. Pitre's brother, Frank, died in an automobile accident in Feb. 1942 when on his way to Camp Livingstone, La., to visit his brother.  Sgt. Pitre is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Pitre, 220 Columbus street.  The family came here four years ago from Crete, Ill.  Before entering service, Sgt. Pitre, who was 27 years old, was employed by the Camfield Manufacturing company.  He has three brothers in the armed service, Donald in the army and Bernard and Morgan in the navy.  There are two sisters, Mrs. Walter Brodowski and Marcella, both of Grand Haven and two half brothers, John Parker of Grand Haven and Louis Parker, Harvey, Ill.  (more on Sgt. Pedelty.)

- POW/MIA records:  Francis Pitre, b. 2 Jan 1916 MI; Sergeant Francis Pitre entered the U.S. Army from Michigan and served in Company F, 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division. On November 30, 1942, he was killed in action during the fighting for Buna.  Attempts to recover his remains have been unsuccessful, and he was not identified among the remains disinterred from the area following the war.  Today, Sergeant Pitre is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

- Michigan Casualties 1941 - 1943:  Sgt. Francis Pitre, FP, killed 3-3-43 (from Spring Lake)

 

Notes for Margaret Catherine Klintworth:

Obituary:  Muskegon Chronicle (MI):  Margaret Catherine Cooper, age 82, of Spring Lake passed away on Tuesday, October 25, 2005, at her home.  She was born on January 29, 1923, to Fred and Jessie (Molyneux) Klintworth in Crockery Township; and she married Everett M. Cooper on April 17, 1944, in Little Rock, AR.  They had been married 50 years at the time of his death on November 25, 1994.  Mrs. Cooper enjoyed antique cars and had been a member of the Vintage Chevrolet Club of America; and she collected ladybugs.  Survivors include her two daughters, Patricia (Larry) Lathrop, Muskegon; Carolyn Cooper, North Muskegon; three sons, David (Mary) Cooper, Denver, CO; Alan Cooper, Spring Lake; James Cooper, Grand Haven; five grandchildren: Marc, Greg, Matthew, Eric, and Emily; six great-grandchildren: K.J., Jordan, Talia, Lauren, Zackary, and Maddison.  She was preceded in death by a daughter, Catherine; a granddaughter, Lisa; a great-grandson, Issac; two sisters, Ellen Hoppe and Myrtle Farrar; and two brothers, Raymond and Lloyd Klintworth.  A funeral service for Margaret C. Cooper will be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday at VanZantwick Bartels Kammeraad Funeral Home in Spring Lake with Rev. Daniel Anderson officiating.  Friends may meet the family 2-4 & 6-8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.  Interment will be in Spring Lake Cemetery.  Memorials to Hospice of Muskegon/Oceana are appreciated

 

 

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Items in RED have been verified against parish register entries.

- Entries in RED from Louisiana sourced from online Death records. 

 

Last updated:  17 May 2024.