Larry Mahnke dropped off 2 items at the Monitor office about Leon Stoelk.
Who was Leon you may ask?
Stoelk - never heard of the name most younger folks will say in Manning today...
Now I don't expect them to know but with the way our society is going today with all of the whining and complaining and demanding their rights, I think the younger generations better start learning more about their history.
Those who are older and maybe know this surname name, I would guess they don't even know who Leon was.
Now I'm no one special, but I've known about Leon for decades - basically because I've worked on Manning history for 5 decades...and continue to struggle getting military information for Manning's Veterans.
When I looked at the items that Larry brought me, I thought I previously had scans of the 2 items, but after searching my database, I discovered I didn't have the funeral program, nor the specific Monitor article.
After seeing how much information I had for Leon and his family in my database I decided to make another feature...I scanned the 2 items Larry gave me and then searched for more files in my database.
I remembered that a fellow from the Netherlands had found my web page years ago and asked me if I had any pictures of Leon - so I found that 2012 folder...fortunately I have at least one military photo of Leon scanned to send to him.
But the fellow from the Netherlands really surprised me when he sent me a ton of material he had collected from US military sites and some pictures he took.

Now maybe some of you who read my Manning Monitor articles and browse through my web pages, realize that one of the main reasons I create these features and post stuff in the Monitor is to TRY to get more Manning connected people to bring me what little history/pix they may have of their family history and old Manning history - especially the Veterans, so I can scan, document, and archive it in my database, and to use in the future Manning Veterans history book.

Now I realize there are many folks who are scanning and working on their own personal family trees, which is fine, but unless they are saving that data in a museum or similar historical location so it won't just get lost someday...or, more than likely they aren't properly backing up that digital data in multiple ways and off-site such as a bank safe deposit box, so sooner or later that data will get deleted, lost, or damaged beyond recovery.

I take all of these steps and more and have future plans that the data will be preserved in the National Archives in Washington D.C., and any/all local area museums and libraries.
So if you want your old family/Manning history preserved, contact me and we'll work out the details...

I realize that others will upload some of their pix, history, and data to those commercial websites and/or on some of those social media sites.
One thing I'm really proud of is my work is pure - I don't make a penny off of anyone's history...not so with those commercial sites.
Now I don't have as large a data site to store it on like they do, and my work is basically "Manning" history, BUT it costs me quite a bit to operate my web pages.

Another reason to get me your old stuff to scan is that I'll then be able to use some of it in future feature stories on my web pages.

Have I begged, pleaded, and rambled enough???

So let's take a little trip down memory lane for Leon Stoelk...

I'll list the sources of some of the material, to give you just a little idea of the number of people who have worked and shared with me over the decades...


Albert & Elsie (Klindt) Stoelk
From Karen Brady's collection

When I work with pictures of someone who served in the military and paid the ultimate price...I wonder what were they thinking about at the time in a picture as shown below when they were young and had NO idea what their future demise would be. Now no one knows their future, but pondering things like this with Leon have a harsher reality check IF a person takes some time to think about it.

Leon, Donald, Merle
From Jeff Stoelk's collection

I always like to comment about connections I have with other families...
Merle Stoelk and my dad, Amos, graduated together in 1938
His daughter, Marlys, and I graduated together in 1975

Back: Darlene
Middle: Berdine, Merle, Leon, Jaenice
Front: Albert, Donald, Elsie (Klindt)
From Jeff Stoelk's collection
He told me this little comment by his father " Don never liked this picture because he wore a sweater"


Albert Stoelk baptismal certificate
From the Jeff Stoelk collection


Albert Stoelk and probably Frank
From the Jeff Stoelk collection

I have several scans of this picture from various sources, but Jeff had the best original print, plus I have better scanners/software now.
Many steam engines and threshing machines fell through bridges.
Old timers told me that many times the operator would get off the steam engine and let it drive across the bridge by itself - just in case


From the Jeff Stoelk collection

This steam engine, owned by Frank Stoelk, fell through the Nishnabotna River bridge August 24, 1916. The engine had been pulling a threshing machine, which was saved because the tongue between the two machines broke.
The mishap occurred on the Shelby-Crawford County line, a half-mile north and a half-mile east of Botna. Hans Pfoltner and Frank Stoelk were on the engine and went down with it. Frank pulled the planks off Hans, who was burned by the steam. Frank suffered several broken ribs.
Albert Stoelk, Frank's brother, is shown sitting on the steam engine; their father Henry is standing under the bridge railing. Henry Steen is on Albert's right side.
Page 326 Aspinwall Centennial book


The only military picture I have of Leon - from a box found in the VFW hall with other WWII Veteran pix.


I hope someone will have a better original copy of this so I can make a better scan.


2012 e-mail from Jan Bos of the Netherlands.

Like I mentioned at the beginning of this feature, Jan was so very gracious and helpful to send me what he had gathered for Leon.
Here are just some of the documents and pix he e-mailed me.

Gela Cemetery at Gela, Sicily

For those who like to complain about things today - realize this is just ONE of many burial sites or temporary burial sites overseas during WWII.

Present day site of the burial site at Gela - I believe all of the bodies were repatriated or moved to other cemeteries.

Here are some of the documents Jan sent me.
I won't explain them, partly because I don't have the time to glean through the information now and also because you can read them.


It is amazing at some of the documents that were copied and kept...
It is next to impossible to understand the heartache that gold star family members went through.
Especially at trying to get any items of their son's belongings back home.


Thank you from the Stoelk family the Legion in Manning.
I scanned this from the Legion Hall records.

Reburial service from Larry Mahnke

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