Obit: Mueller, Francis Peter (1929 - 1952)

Contact: Linda Mertens
Email: Email: mertens@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Kocian, Kollath, Muehler, Mueller

----Source: Anna Johnson's Scrapbook

Francis Peter Mueller (19 Nov 1929 - 02 Sep 1952)

Francis Mueller, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Mueller, Town of Holton (Marathon Co., WI), died in Wisconsin General hospital, Madison, at 4:30 p. m. Tuesday, Sept. 2, after an illness of two weeks with Guillain Barre Syndrome. He was taken ill Aug. 18 with what was first suspected to be infantile paralysis, the symptoms being similar. Aug. 19 he was taken from the Medford hospital to Madison, where the malady was identified later in the week. His condition became progressively worse, with paralysis successively affecting his limbs and bodily functions. His parents, who were with their son all the time permitted by hospital authorities, were at his bedside when death came.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, Sept. 6, from Peace Evangelical and Reformed Church here (Dorchester, Clark Co., WI) at 2:00 p. m. The Rev. Fred Kollath, pastor, will officiate at the rites, and burial will be in the Church of Peace cemetery.

Leach-Paulson Post of the American Legion will accord the youth full military honors at graveside rites. The deceased will lie in state at the Mueller home from 2:00 p. m. Friday until 1:30 p. m. Saturday, when a brief service will be held there prior to the church rites.

Francis had been home only about a month since his discharge July 15 from the United States Navy, which he had honorably served for four years, enlisting July 16, 1948. He was the recipient of the navy's good conduct medal, European and Asiatic occupation medal, United Nations ribbon, and Korean campaign ribbon with two stars.

He received his basic training at Great Lakes naval training station, and was assigned to the naval base at Norfolk, Va., then to Cecil Field, Fla., where he was on the complement of the aircraft carrier USS Midway, and later was transferred to the USS Leyte, based at Sanford, Fla.

During his term of service he participated in naval maneuvers in the Caribbean Sea, was twice on cruises through the Mediterranean area, and for several months served on the carrier Leyte in the Korean war theater naval air support of fighting there.

Francis Peter Mueller was born Nov. 19, 1929, at Bryan, Ohio. He received his education in this community attending Barry grade school, and Dorchester high school, graduating just before enlisting in the navy. He was a member of the local Peace Evangelical and Reformed church.

He is survived by his parents, Mr. & Mrs. Peter Mueller, and one sister, Mrs. Paul (Virginia) Kocian, Cicero, Ill.

Note added by Dan Rausch-Fischer: Francis's mother's maiden name was Nora Muehler.