Surnames: Janke, Zank, Frei, Bush

----Source: CLARK COUNTY PRESS (Neillsville, Clark County, Wis.) 05/08/1947

Janke, Gerald O. (8 JAN 1921 - 3 MAY 1947)

Funeral service for M/Sgt. Gerald O. Janke, 26, will be held at 2 o’clock Thursday afternoon at the Methodist Church, Neillsville. The Rev. Floyd A. Fahlgren, pastor of the church, will officiate. Burial will take place in the Neillsville Cemetery.

The body is lying in state in a flag-draped casket at the Georgas Funeral Home and will be taken at noon on Thursday to the church, where it will lie in state under military guard, until the hour of the funeral. Pallbearers and honorary pallbearers will be members of the Thirty-second Division, with whom Sgt. Janke served during the late war. A color guard and firing squad will be from the Veterans of Foreign Wars and other members of the V. F. W. will attend the service in a body.

Sgt. Janke died Saturday, May 3, 1947, at Flower Hospital in Toledo, Ohio, after a week’s illness, the cause of death being given as a ruptured appendix. The body arrived in Neillsville Monday night, accompanied by First Sgt. Everett Oliver as a military guard. He will remain here until after the funeral services.

Gerald Janke, son of August and Merle bush Janke, was born Jan. 8, 1921, at Alma Center, Wis. When he was still quite young his parents moved to Neillsville, where he grew to manhood. He attended the Neillsville school and was graduated from the Neillsville High School with the class of 1939. In 1938 he joined the National Guard and was inducted into federal service on Oct. 15, 1940. He served with the Thirty-second Division, also known as the Red Arrow Division, from 1940 until June 1945, when he returned to the U.S. and received his discharge. He re-enlisted in the army in November 1945.

During the war he saw service in four campaigns: New Guinea, Papua, South Philippine Islands and Luzon. He was awarded the following citations: Distinguished Unit Badge, Good Conduct Ribbon, Asiatic-Pacific Theater Ribbon with four bronze battle stars and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one bronze battle star. He had six overseas service bars.

On July 16, 1946, he was married to Miss Leona Zank of Neillsville, there marriage taking place at Madisonville, Ky. He was a member of the Methodist Church at Neillsville, and of the V. F. W. Since his re-enlistment in the U. S. Army, he has been serving as an instructor for the National Guard.

Surviving, besides his wife, Leona, are his parents and sister, Marcia, Mrs. Donald Frei of Black river Falls, and three grandparents, Mrs. August Janke Sr., and Mr. and Mrs. O. H. Bush, all of Alma Center.