Obit: Hinker, Richard #1 (1922 - 1941)
Contact: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Hinker, Vesel, Einck

----Source: Greenwood Gleaner (Greenwood, Clark Co., Wis.) 06/01/1944

Photos & Obituary provided by Ken Wood

Obit: Obit: Hinker, Richard #2 (1922 - 1941)

Contact: Ken Wood

----Source: Greenwood Gleaner, Greenwood, Wisconsin

CPL. HINKER IS LOST IN ACTION

Greenwood Parents Get Official Word; Missing Since Corregidor

Greenwood, Now officially declared lost in action since the Battle of Corregior in April, 1942, is Cpl. Richard H. Hinker whose parents, Mr. and Mr. Ed Hinker, Greenwood, were given tis information this week by the War Department.

He had been reported missing since the fall of Bataan and Corregidor, and his parents last heard from him in November, 1941, while he was in Manila.

Cpl. Hinker and John A. Vesel, the latter the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Vesel, Greenwood, and a prisoner of the Japanese, had been reported missing at the same time. They enlisted in the U. S. Army in Wausau in February 1941, and both left immediately for the Philippines.

Richard Henry Hinker, son of Edward and Frances (Einck) Hinker was born in Greenwood, Wisconsin, April 1, 1922. He received his education in St. Mary's Parochial School in Greenwood and was employed here before enlisting for military service at the age of 19.

Besides his parents, he had three brothers and a sister: Sylvester Hinker of Greenwood, Marcellus Hinker of Chicago, Cpl. Cletus Hinker of Florence,
S.C., and Miss Edna Hinker, Greenwood. Another brother, Alphonse Hinker died 14 years ago.

Hinker, Richard (? - DEC 1941)

Richard Hinker is Now Pronounced Dead, Had Been Missing 2 Years

Mr. and Mrs. Ed Hinker of this city have received word from Washington to the effect that their son Richard, who was reported missing in action just after the fall of Bataan and Corregidor, is officially declared dead.

Richard enlisted in the army before the war started and was stationed at Bataan during the terrible battle fought there. It is thought that he, as did many other of the brave men at Bataan, tried to escape to another nearby island from which to continue the fighting, when it was evident that Bataan could no longer stand up under the terrific punishment given it, and that the boat in which they were leaving Bataan was sunk with all aboard killed.

With word of his death at this time, which was early spring of 1943, we find that Richard is the first service man from Greenwood (Clark Co., Wis.) killed in action during the great war.

The Gleaner joins the many friends of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Hinker and family in extending its heartfelt sympathy and we sincerely hope that they gain comfort in knowing he gave his life as a hero for his country.

1940 Federal Census, Greenwood, Greenwood City, Clark, Wisconsin, United States, enumeration district number: 10-15, family number: 212, sheet number and letter: 8B, line number: 6

Richard Hinker, 19 yrs., (1922 -  Wisconsin, United States), white, single, male
residence in 1935: Same Place

Household Members
head Edward Hinker M 53 Iowa
wife Francis Hinker F 50 Iowa
son Richard Hinker M 19 Wisconsin

1930 Federal Census, Eaton, Clark, Wisconsin, enumeration district number: 0009, family number: 91, sheet number and letter: 6A, line number: 28

Richard Hinker, 9 yrs., (1922 - Wisconsin)
father's birthplace: Iowa
mother's birthplace: Iowa

Household Members
head Edward Hinker M 43 Iowa
wife Francis Hinker F 40 Iowa
son Alfons Hinker M 17 Iowa
daughter Marcellus Hinker F 14 Wisconsin
daughter Edna Hinker F 11 Wisconsin
son Richard Hinker M 9 Wisconsin
son Cletus Hinker M 5 Wisconsin