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SAMUEL GARRETT VENABLE |
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Samuel Garrett Venable of Bonne Terre was a corporal with the
Quartermaster Corp. in the Army. He served in
the European Theatre.
Venable left New York on the Queen Mary in September 1943,
bound for the Normandy Invasion staging area of Northern Ireland.
Unable to see his first-born, Larry, who was only 3 days old,
it would be over two years before Sam could be back with his family.
While in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Sam became very close
friends with the Allied Forces Chaplain, Rev. William S. K. Crossley. He spent many a wonderful evening visiting with
Rev. Crossley and his wife in their home.
The greater part of the time Sam was in mainland Europe, he
shuttled supplies to General Patton's forces. Sam
served in France, and Belgium, winding up in Berlin before being sent home in 1945.
Sam and Rev. Crossley continued to write yearly for 44 years,
never getting to see each other again before Sam passed away April 15, 1988.
Sam's wife, Irene, died June 1972. Their children are Larry Venable, Salem; Bill
Venable, Bonne Terre; Donna Trent, De Soto and Pat Watson of Farmington.
Sam married Anna House Smith in September 1976. Anna still lives in Bonne Terre.
This material was furnished [to Daily Journal] by Larry Venable.
The DAILY JOURNAL, St. Francois County., Wednesday, April 26, 1995.