Frank Tilman Florence Jr (1921 - 2004)

Born 17 Aug 1921 in Cynthiana, Harrison, Kentucky, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Leila Elizabeth (Vater) Florence — married 1943 in Kentucky, United States

Died 10 Jul 2004 at age 82 in Shelbyville, Shelby, Kentucky, United States

Biography

Frank Florence Jr was awarded the Purple Heart.

Frank Tilman Florence was born on Aug 17, 1921 in Cynthiana, Harrison, Kentucky, United States, son of Frank Tillman Florence (1890–1990) and Effie Mae Kendall (1891–1964).^[1][2][3]

In 1930, Frank (8) Jr. was in the household of his father, Frank, in Grants Lick, Campbell, Kentucky. ^[4]

In 1940, Frank (18) was in the household of his father, Frank, in Magisterial District 7, Campbell. ^[5]

On Feb 16, 1942, Frank was living at 4145 Ballard Ave, in Cincinnati, Ohio and was working at the Cincinnati Milling Machine Company, as a foreman.^[2][6]

Frank (21) married Leila Elizabeth Vater (17) (born on Jun 25, 1925 in Campbell County, Kentucky) on Jan 30, 1943.^[2]

Frank died on Jul 10, 2004 in Shelbyville, Shelby, Kentucky, aged 82.^{[7] [8]} He was buried in Oakland Cemetery, Grants Lick, Kentucky.^[9]

Military

Frank enlisted in the Army on Jun 29, 1942 and served in World War II till Nov 1945 when he was discharged. ^[2][10] During his military service he "was a machine gun section leader with the 3rd Battalion 317th Infantry Regiment"^[9] In 1944, Frank was captured by the Germans and eventually taken to Stalag III-C/"Kuestrin, a prison camp in eastern Germany near the Polish border."^[11] During his time at the camp Frank "served as chaplain for his fellow POWs, delivering Sunday sermons to more than 1,000 men".^[9] In January of 1945 the camp was liberated by the Russians and the group walked from Poland to Odessa.^[9] He was awarded "the Purple Heart Medal and the European Theatre of Operations Ribbon with two combat stars."^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ "Kentucky, Vital Record Indexes, 1911-1999," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKHJ-4SBM : accessed 29 September 2015), Frank Florence, 1921; citing Birth, Harrison, Kentucky, United States, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} Tapp, Hambleton. Kentucky Lives: The Blue Grass State Who's Who. Hopkinsville, KY: Historical Record Association, Inc., 1966. page 177.
3. ↑ "United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6K37-YC1C : 10 February 2023), Frank Tillman Florence, Jr, .
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XM63-TBT : accessed 25 September 2015), Frank Florence Jr. in household of Frank Florence, Grants Lick, Campbell, Kentucky, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 0054, sheet 5A, family 110, line 32, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 738; FHL microfilm 2,340,473.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K7RC-JZW : accessed 25 September 2015), Frank Florence in household of Frank Florence, Magisterial District 7, Campbell, Kentucky, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 19-94, sheet 3A, family 52, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 1290.
6. ↑ U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947: National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Draft Registration Cards For Ohio, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 451 Ancestry Record 2238 #199908352
7. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V9BN-2YC : accessed 29 September 2015), Frank T Florence, 10 Jul 2004; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
8. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #120668912
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3} "Frank Florence Jr. was Baptist minister", The Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati, Ohio, (2004) 15 July 2004, Page B10 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cincinnati-enquirer-obituary-for-fra/120777800/
10. ↑ "United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8L2-K46 : accessed 29 September 2015), Frank T Florence, enlisted 29 Jun 1942, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 126323, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
11. ↑ "Frank Florence Jr., was World War II POW", The Cincinnati Post, Cincinnati, Ohio, (2004) 13 July 2004, Page 8A https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cincinnati-post-obituary-for-frank-f/124122390/

See also:

Obituary

Frank Florence Jr. spent 11 months in a German prisoner of war camp after he was captured in France during World War II, but he found an inventive way to let his wife and family know that he was alive and safe.

The news that her husband was a prisoner of war "was like a nightmare that wouldn't end," said his wife, Elizabeth Vater Florence -- until she received a hand-written postcard from her husband that contained hidden clues to his whereabouts.

The card simply said that he was alive and safe, but Elizabeth Florence noticed that some of the letters on the postcard were penciled in darker than others -- a secret code that the couple developed years earlier when they were childhood sweethearts.

When she wrote the letters out, they spelled "Kuestrin, a prison camp in eastern Germany near the Polish border. "That's how we knew where he was," she said. "I knew he was sending me a secret message."

After Russian troops liberated the camp, Florence and his fellow prisoners walked 1,500 miles through Poland and Russia to reach the port of Odessa and return home to their families. For his service, he was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star, among other medals.

The Rev. Florence, 82, died Saturday at Jewish Hospital in Shelbyville from complications relating to Alzheimer's disease. He was the pastor of First Baptist Church of Cold Spring from 1976 to 1982.

After he returned from the war, Frank Florence was a pastor in Kentucky for 45 years, and also spent three years in Colombia as a missionary before retiring in 1982.

He wrote two books, "Feet of Clay," which was based upon his experiences during the war, and "Hopeful, Back to These Hills," a memoir of his childhood.

Survivors in addition to his wife include a son, Terry Allen of English, Ind.; daughters, Linda French of Cox's Creek and Nancy Whitlock of Taylorsville; nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Grants Lick Baptist Church. Visitation will begin there at 11 a.m. Thursday. Burial will be in Oakland Cemetery, Grants Lick. Peoples Funeral Home, Falmouth, is handling arrangements.