Sergeant George Francis Benoodt, Army serial number 36784456, was born at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois on February 23, 1922. He was one of seven children of Fred Cyril Benoodt (24 May 1882 – 5 May 1930) and Agnes Madeline (Zemajda) Benoodt (5 Jul 1893 – 8 Feb 1964). His father was born at Amsterdam, The Netherlands, immigrated to America with parents and siblings about January 1893, and settled in Atkinson, Henry County, Illinois. His mother was born in Pennsylvania.
His parents married at Forest Park (Chicago), Cook County, Illinois on September 10, 1918. At that time they lived at 124 South Honore Street, Chicago, Illinois, and his father was a truck driver. In January 1920 the family lived at 2108 Bingham Street in Chicago, and his father was an automobile mechanic. In December 1924 (when his sister Bernice died) the family lived at 1439 West Madison Street in Chicago. They moved to Downers Grove, Illinois by January 1926 (when his brother Richard was born). In April 1930 the family lived on Sterling Road in Downers Grove and his father was an automobile repairman.
After his father died in May 1930, he lived with his brothers and sisters at the Illinois Masonic Children's Home in La Grange, Cook County, Illinois, so that his mother could work. His mother moved back to Chicago and worked as a machine operator in a dress shop. She took the train every weekend to see her children. He lived at the childrens' home through at least 1940, and graduated from Lyons Township High School in La Grange in 1940. He registered for the draft at Chicago on June 27, 1942. He was 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighed 185 pounds, and had blue eyes and brown hair. At that time he lived with his mother at 1447 West Madison Street in Chicago, and was employed by Lindberg Engineering Company.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army and entered active service on January 5, 1944. He completed Army Air Forces aerial gunnery training at Las Vegas, Nevada, and was assigned to the crew of Lt Henry M. Shepard. Lt Shepard's crew completed B-17 operational training at Ardmore, Oklahoma. George Benoodt married while he was at Ardmore. His wife was Caroline Catherine (Gura) Benoodt (abt Sep 1926 – unk), who was born at Gary, Indiana and resided at Chicago, Illinois. They married on August 3, 1944. George Benoodt's home of record was 133 West 110th Place, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, his wife's address in 1944.
Lt Shepard's crew was assigned to the 839th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England. They arrived in England by October 26, 1944, and became part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe.
After arrival in England, Sgt Benoodt trained to become a rated flight engineer. On December 31, 1944, the 487th Bomb Group dispatched thirty-one B-17s on a mission to bomb an oil refinery in the southern dock area of Hamburg, Germany. This was Sgt Benoodt's first combat mission. He flew as flight engineer with the crew of Lt Robert G. Kraker aboard B-17G 43-38278 in the 839th Bomb Squadron. He was killed in action when he was struck in the head by flak during the bomb run over Hamburg. His body was returned to Lavenham after the mission, and was buried at Cambridge American Cemetery in Plot T, Row 9, Grave 9 on January 2, 1945.
His remains were returned to the United States and interred at Mount Auburn Memorial Park in Berwyn (now Stickney), Cook County, Illinois on January 4, 1949. The military escort was Sgt John S. St. Jacques. Arrangements were handled by funeral director Claude L. Prish, 3421 Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. Sgt Benoodt was buried in an unmarked grave next to his parents in the Middle Edgewood Section, Lot 70.
A Veterans Administration grave marker for Sgt Benoodt was requested in December 2017, and arrived at the cemetery in February 2018. The marker was installed on April 13, 2018. The 487th Bomb Group Association was prepared to pay for the cost of installation, but the Mount Auburn Memorial Park company decided to waive the fee. Cemetery office manager Myra Ferri wrote, "I believe payment was in the form of Sgt. Benoodt's sacrifice to his country."
Sgt Benoodt's widow remarried after the war. Caroline C. Benoodt married William E. Lyons (abt 1922 – unk) at Chicago, Illinois on October 23, 1946. William and Caroline Lyons lived in El Paso, Texas, William Lyons' hometown. Their address in September 1948 was 3207 Hueco Street, El Paso, Texas. They had at least one child, William Elmer Lyons Jr (19 Sep 1949 – 19 Jan 1950), who died as an infant and is buried at Evergreen Cemetery in El Paso, Texas.
Some relatives:
He had six siblings:
• Bernice Anna Benoodt (3 Mar 1914 – 4 Dec 1924); born and died at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois; buried at Mount Auburn Memorial Park, Stickney, Cook County, Illinois. Her birth mother might be Hattie A. (Forrester) Benoodt (abt 1885 – unk).
• Margaret Agatha (Benoodt) Oehler (28 May 1918 – May 1972); born at Chicago, Illinois; died at Kansas City, Missouri.
• Fred Charles Benoodt (3 Dec 1920 – 6 Dec 2006); born at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois (WWII draft registration); died at Carthage, Hancock County, Illinois; buried at Moss Ridge Cemetery, Carthage, Illinois.
• Mary Jane (Benoodt) Goodrum (20 Mar 1924 – 15 Jan 1999); born at Chicago, Illinois (birth record shows her name as Marie Jane Benoodt; and she signed her name Marie Jane Benoodt on a document in George Benoodt's IDPF)
• Richard Herman Benoodt (20 Jan 1926 – 29 May 1995); born at Downers Grove, DuPage County, Illinois (WWII draft registration); died at Alton, Madison County, Illinois.
• Paul John Benoodt (27 Apr 1927 – 12 Feb 2003); born at Downers Grove, DuPage County, Illinois; died at Twin Falls, Twin Falls County, Idaho.
Sources:
1. 487th Bomb Group Association
2. 1900 US Census; Illinois; Henry County; Cornwall Township. Benoodt, Clement. 2 Jun 1900 (his father's father)
3. 1910 US Census; Illinois; Cook County; Chicago; Ward 16. Kraft, Julian [sic]. 29 Apr 1910 (Julius Kraft, second husband of Anna (Sadlowski) Zemajda, his mother's mother; surname of Anna Zemajda's children by her first marriage is recorded as Smith instead of Zemajda)
4. 1920 US Census; ; Illinois; Cook County; Chicago; Ward 28. Kraft, Julius. 3 Jan 1920 (Second husband of Anna (Sadlowski) Zemajda, his mother's mother)
5. 1920 US Census; Illinois; Cook County; Chicago; Ward 28. Benwodtt, Fred [sic]. 7 Jan 1920 (Fred C. Benoodt, his father)
6. 1930 US Census; Illinois; DuPage County; York Township. Benoodt, Fred C. 9 Apr 1930 (Fred Cyril Benoodt, his father)
7. 1940 US Census; Illinois; Cook County; La Grange; Illinois Masonic Orphans' Home. Benoodt, George. 19 Apr 1940
8. Cemetery records of Cambridge American Cemetery, Madingley, Cambridgeshire, UK
9. Cemetery records of Mount Auburn Cemetery, Stickney, Cook County, IL
10. Daily Gate City (The), Keokuk, Iowa. Obituary of Fred C. Benoodt. 11 Dec 2006 (Fred Charles Benoodt, his brother)
11. de Jong, Ivo. The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H). Paducah KY: Turner Publishing, Oct 2004
12. Headquarters AAF Station 137, APO 559. Special Orders Number 192. 29 Oct 1944 (Henry M. Shepard crew assigned to 839th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group at Army Air Forces Station 137, Lavenham, England, effective 26 Oct 1944)
13. Hughey, Henry. Personal Conversation. 30 Sep 2012 (William Henry Hughey, called Henry; ball turret gunner on the Richmond C. Young crew, 838th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group; trained with George F. Benoodt and was a personal friend)
14. Illinois, Cook County, Birth Certificates, 1871–1940. George F. Benoodt was born on 23 Feb 1922; birth certificate registered at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois on 11 Mar 1942; parents: Fred C. Benoodt, who was born in Holland; and Agnes M. Zemajda, who was born in Pennsylvania
15. Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916–1947
• Bernice A. Benoodt died at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois on 4 Dec 1924 (his sister)
• Fred C. Benoodt died at Winfield, DuPage County, Illinois on 5 May 1930 (his father)
16. Illinois Marriages, 1879–1920. Fred C. Benoodt married Agnes M. Zemojda [Zemajda] at Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois on 10 Sep 1918. (his parents)
17. Obituary of Prudent J. Benoodt (1891–1937). Moline IL: The Dispatch, 6 Dec 1937 (obituary of his father's brother; Prudent Benoodt immigrated to America with his parents and siblings when he was 18 months old, about Jan 1893, and the family settled in Atkinson, Illinois.)
18. Oklahoma, County Marriages, 1890–1995. George F. Benoodt, age 22, married Caroline C. Gura, age 18, at Ardmore, Carter County, Oklahoma on 3 Aug 1944.
19. Social Security Death Index
20. Texas Birth Index, 1903–1997: William Elmer Lyons Jr was born at El Paso, Texas on 19 Sep 1949; father: William Elmer Lyons; mother: Caroline Catherine Benoodt
21. Texas Deaths, 1890–1976. Death Certificate of William Elmer Lyons Jr (son of William E. Lyons and Caroline C. (Gura) Benoodt Lyons)
22. U.S. Department of the Army, Adjutant General Office, Technical Records Section. Individual Deceased Personnel File of George F. Benoodt, 36784456 (aka 'IDPF' and '293 File')
23. U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945
24. U.S. School Yearbooks, 1900–1999 (ancestry.com): TABULAE [yearbook]. La Grange IL: Lyons Township High School, 1940 (George Benoodt's senior class photo on page 9)
25. U.S. War Department. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel. Washington, D.C., June 1946
26. U.S. World War II Draft Cards, Young Men, 1940–1947 (ancestry.com)
27. World War I Draft Registration of Fred Cyril Benoodt. 12 Sep 1918 (his father; middle name is spelled Cyriel in this document)
28. Wright, Constance L. 'Connie'. Personal Communication. May 2016 (a niece)
29. Zappen, William J. 'Bill'. Benoodt Family Tree and Personal Communication. Sep 2011 (a first cousin, once removed)
Research by:
Paul Webber
Find A Grave member ID 47577572
His parents married at Forest Park (Chicago), Cook County, Illinois on September 10, 1918. At that time they lived at 124 South Honore Street, Chicago, Illinois, and his father was a truck driver. In January 1920 the family lived at 2108 Bingham Street in Chicago, and his father was an automobile mechanic. In December 1924 (when his sister Bernice died) the family lived at 1439 West Madison Street in Chicago. They moved to Downers Grove, Illinois by January 1926 (when his brother Richard was born). In April 1930 the family lived on Sterling Road in Downers Grove and his father was an automobile repairman.
After his father died in May 1930, he lived with his brothers and sisters at the Illinois Masonic Children's Home in La Grange, Cook County, Illinois, so that his mother could work. His mother moved back to Chicago and worked as a machine operator in a dress shop. She took the train every weekend to see her children. He lived at the childrens' home through at least 1940, and graduated from Lyons Township High School in La Grange in 1940. He registered for the draft at Chicago on June 27, 1942. He was 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighed 185 pounds, and had blue eyes and brown hair. At that time he lived with his mother at 1447 West Madison Street in Chicago, and was employed by Lindberg Engineering Company.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army and entered active service on January 5, 1944. He completed Army Air Forces aerial gunnery training at Las Vegas, Nevada, and was assigned to the crew of Lt Henry M. Shepard. Lt Shepard's crew completed B-17 operational training at Ardmore, Oklahoma. George Benoodt married while he was at Ardmore. His wife was Caroline Catherine (Gura) Benoodt (abt Sep 1926 – unk), who was born at Gary, Indiana and resided at Chicago, Illinois. They married on August 3, 1944. George Benoodt's home of record was 133 West 110th Place, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, his wife's address in 1944.
Lt Shepard's crew was assigned to the 839th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England. They arrived in England by October 26, 1944, and became part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe.
After arrival in England, Sgt Benoodt trained to become a rated flight engineer. On December 31, 1944, the 487th Bomb Group dispatched thirty-one B-17s on a mission to bomb an oil refinery in the southern dock area of Hamburg, Germany. This was Sgt Benoodt's first combat mission. He flew as flight engineer with the crew of Lt Robert G. Kraker aboard B-17G 43-38278 in the 839th Bomb Squadron. He was killed in action when he was struck in the head by flak during the bomb run over Hamburg. His body was returned to Lavenham after the mission, and was buried at Cambridge American Cemetery in Plot T, Row 9, Grave 9 on January 2, 1945.
His remains were returned to the United States and interred at Mount Auburn Memorial Park in Berwyn (now Stickney), Cook County, Illinois on January 4, 1949. The military escort was Sgt John S. St. Jacques. Arrangements were handled by funeral director Claude L. Prish, 3421 Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. Sgt Benoodt was buried in an unmarked grave next to his parents in the Middle Edgewood Section, Lot 70.
A Veterans Administration grave marker for Sgt Benoodt was requested in December 2017, and arrived at the cemetery in February 2018. The marker was installed on April 13, 2018. The 487th Bomb Group Association was prepared to pay for the cost of installation, but the Mount Auburn Memorial Park company decided to waive the fee. Cemetery office manager Myra Ferri wrote, "I believe payment was in the form of Sgt. Benoodt's sacrifice to his country."
Sgt Benoodt's widow remarried after the war. Caroline C. Benoodt married William E. Lyons (abt 1922 – unk) at Chicago, Illinois on October 23, 1946. William and Caroline Lyons lived in El Paso, Texas, William Lyons' hometown. Their address in September 1948 was 3207 Hueco Street, El Paso, Texas. They had at least one child, William Elmer Lyons Jr (19 Sep 1949 – 19 Jan 1950), who died as an infant and is buried at Evergreen Cemetery in El Paso, Texas.
Some relatives:
He had six siblings:
• Bernice Anna Benoodt (3 Mar 1914 – 4 Dec 1924); born and died at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois; buried at Mount Auburn Memorial Park, Stickney, Cook County, Illinois. Her birth mother might be Hattie A. (Forrester) Benoodt (abt 1885 – unk).
• Margaret Agatha (Benoodt) Oehler (28 May 1918 – May 1972); born at Chicago, Illinois; died at Kansas City, Missouri.
• Fred Charles Benoodt (3 Dec 1920 – 6 Dec 2006); born at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois (WWII draft registration); died at Carthage, Hancock County, Illinois; buried at Moss Ridge Cemetery, Carthage, Illinois.
• Mary Jane (Benoodt) Goodrum (20 Mar 1924 – 15 Jan 1999); born at Chicago, Illinois (birth record shows her name as Marie Jane Benoodt; and she signed her name Marie Jane Benoodt on a document in George Benoodt's IDPF)
• Richard Herman Benoodt (20 Jan 1926 – 29 May 1995); born at Downers Grove, DuPage County, Illinois (WWII draft registration); died at Alton, Madison County, Illinois.
• Paul John Benoodt (27 Apr 1927 – 12 Feb 2003); born at Downers Grove, DuPage County, Illinois; died at Twin Falls, Twin Falls County, Idaho.
Sources:
1. 487th Bomb Group Association
2. 1900 US Census; Illinois; Henry County; Cornwall Township. Benoodt, Clement. 2 Jun 1900 (his father's father)
3. 1910 US Census; Illinois; Cook County; Chicago; Ward 16. Kraft, Julian [sic]. 29 Apr 1910 (Julius Kraft, second husband of Anna (Sadlowski) Zemajda, his mother's mother; surname of Anna Zemajda's children by her first marriage is recorded as Smith instead of Zemajda)
4. 1920 US Census; ; Illinois; Cook County; Chicago; Ward 28. Kraft, Julius. 3 Jan 1920 (Second husband of Anna (Sadlowski) Zemajda, his mother's mother)
5. 1920 US Census; Illinois; Cook County; Chicago; Ward 28. Benwodtt, Fred [sic]. 7 Jan 1920 (Fred C. Benoodt, his father)
6. 1930 US Census; Illinois; DuPage County; York Township. Benoodt, Fred C. 9 Apr 1930 (Fred Cyril Benoodt, his father)
7. 1940 US Census; Illinois; Cook County; La Grange; Illinois Masonic Orphans' Home. Benoodt, George. 19 Apr 1940
8. Cemetery records of Cambridge American Cemetery, Madingley, Cambridgeshire, UK
9. Cemetery records of Mount Auburn Cemetery, Stickney, Cook County, IL
10. Daily Gate City (The), Keokuk, Iowa. Obituary of Fred C. Benoodt. 11 Dec 2006 (Fred Charles Benoodt, his brother)
11. de Jong, Ivo. The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H). Paducah KY: Turner Publishing, Oct 2004
12. Headquarters AAF Station 137, APO 559. Special Orders Number 192. 29 Oct 1944 (Henry M. Shepard crew assigned to 839th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group at Army Air Forces Station 137, Lavenham, England, effective 26 Oct 1944)
13. Hughey, Henry. Personal Conversation. 30 Sep 2012 (William Henry Hughey, called Henry; ball turret gunner on the Richmond C. Young crew, 838th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group; trained with George F. Benoodt and was a personal friend)
14. Illinois, Cook County, Birth Certificates, 1871–1940. George F. Benoodt was born on 23 Feb 1922; birth certificate registered at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois on 11 Mar 1942; parents: Fred C. Benoodt, who was born in Holland; and Agnes M. Zemajda, who was born in Pennsylvania
15. Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916–1947
• Bernice A. Benoodt died at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois on 4 Dec 1924 (his sister)
• Fred C. Benoodt died at Winfield, DuPage County, Illinois on 5 May 1930 (his father)
16. Illinois Marriages, 1879–1920. Fred C. Benoodt married Agnes M. Zemojda [Zemajda] at Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois on 10 Sep 1918. (his parents)
17. Obituary of Prudent J. Benoodt (1891–1937). Moline IL: The Dispatch, 6 Dec 1937 (obituary of his father's brother; Prudent Benoodt immigrated to America with his parents and siblings when he was 18 months old, about Jan 1893, and the family settled in Atkinson, Illinois.)
18. Oklahoma, County Marriages, 1890–1995. George F. Benoodt, age 22, married Caroline C. Gura, age 18, at Ardmore, Carter County, Oklahoma on 3 Aug 1944.
19. Social Security Death Index
20. Texas Birth Index, 1903–1997: William Elmer Lyons Jr was born at El Paso, Texas on 19 Sep 1949; father: William Elmer Lyons; mother: Caroline Catherine Benoodt
21. Texas Deaths, 1890–1976. Death Certificate of William Elmer Lyons Jr (son of William E. Lyons and Caroline C. (Gura) Benoodt Lyons)
22. U.S. Department of the Army, Adjutant General Office, Technical Records Section. Individual Deceased Personnel File of George F. Benoodt, 36784456 (aka 'IDPF' and '293 File')
23. U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945
24. U.S. School Yearbooks, 1900–1999 (ancestry.com): TABULAE [yearbook]. La Grange IL: Lyons Township High School, 1940 (George Benoodt's senior class photo on page 9)
25. U.S. War Department. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel. Washington, D.C., June 1946
26. U.S. World War II Draft Cards, Young Men, 1940–1947 (ancestry.com)
27. World War I Draft Registration of Fred Cyril Benoodt. 12 Sep 1918 (his father; middle name is spelled Cyriel in this document)
28. Wright, Constance L. 'Connie'. Personal Communication. May 2016 (a niece)
29. Zappen, William J. 'Bill'. Benoodt Family Tree and Personal Communication. Sep 2011 (a first cousin, once removed)
Research by:
Paul Webber
Find A Grave member ID 47577572
Sergeant George Francis Benoodt, Army serial number 36784456, was born at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois on February 23, 1922. He was one of seven children of Fred Cyril Benoodt (24 May 1882 – 5 May 1930) and Agnes Madeline (Zemajda) Benoodt (5 Jul 1893 – 8 Feb 1964). His father was born at Amsterdam, The Netherlands, immigrated to America with parents and siblings about January 1893, and settled in Atkinson, Henry County, Illinois. His mother was born in Pennsylvania.
His parents married at Forest Park (Chicago), Cook County, Illinois on September 10, 1918. At that time they lived at 124 South Honore Street, Chicago, Illinois, and his father was a truck driver. In January 1920 the family lived at 2108 Bingham Street in Chicago, and his father was an automobile mechanic. In December 1924 (when his sister Bernice died) the family lived at 1439 West Madison Street in Chicago. They moved to Downers Grove, Illinois by January 1926 (when his brother Richard was born). In April 1930 the family lived on Sterling Road in Downers Grove and his father was an automobile repairman.
After his father died in May 1930, he lived with his brothers and sisters at the Illinois Masonic Children's Home in La Grange, Cook County, Illinois, so that his mother could work. His mother moved back to Chicago and worked as a machine operator in a dress shop. She took the train every weekend to see her children. He lived at the childrens' home through at least 1940, and graduated from Lyons Township High School in La Grange in 1940. He registered for the draft at Chicago on June 27, 1942. He was 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighed 185 pounds, and had blue eyes and brown hair. At that time he lived with his mother at 1447 West Madison Street in Chicago, and was employed by Lindberg Engineering Company.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army and entered active service on January 5, 1944. He completed Army Air Forces aerial gunnery training at Las Vegas, Nevada, and was assigned to the crew of Lt Henry M. Shepard. Lt Shepard's crew completed B-17 operational training at Ardmore, Oklahoma. George Benoodt married while he was at Ardmore. His wife was Caroline Catherine (Gura) Benoodt (abt Sep 1926 – unk), who was born at Gary, Indiana and resided at Chicago, Illinois. They married on August 3, 1944. George Benoodt's home of record was 133 West 110th Place, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, his wife's address in 1944.
Lt Shepard's crew was assigned to the 839th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England. They arrived in England by October 26, 1944, and became part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe.
After arrival in England, Sgt Benoodt trained to become a rated flight engineer. On December 31, 1944, the 487th Bomb Group dispatched thirty-one B-17s on a mission to bomb an oil refinery in the southern dock area of Hamburg, Germany. This was Sgt Benoodt's first combat mission. He flew as flight engineer with the crew of Lt Robert G. Kraker aboard B-17G 43-38278 in the 839th Bomb Squadron. He was killed in action when he was struck in the head by flak during the bomb run over Hamburg. His body was returned to Lavenham after the mission, and was buried at Cambridge American Cemetery in Plot T, Row 9, Grave 9 on January 2, 1945.
His remains were returned to the United States and interred at Mount Auburn Memorial Park in Berwyn (now Stickney), Cook County, Illinois on January 4, 1949. The military escort was Sgt John S. St. Jacques. Arrangements were handled by funeral director Claude L. Prish, 3421 Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. Sgt Benoodt was buried in an unmarked grave next to his parents in the Middle Edgewood Section, Lot 70.
A Veterans Administration grave marker for Sgt Benoodt was requested in December 2017, and arrived at the cemetery in February 2018. The marker was installed on April 13, 2018. The 487th Bomb Group Association was prepared to pay for the cost of installation, but the Mount Auburn Memorial Park company decided to waive the fee. Cemetery office manager Myra Ferri wrote, "I believe payment was in the form of Sgt. Benoodt's sacrifice to his country."
Sgt Benoodt's widow remarried after the war. Caroline C. Benoodt married William E. Lyons (abt 1922 – unk) at Chicago, Illinois on October 23, 1946. William and Caroline Lyons lived in El Paso, Texas, William Lyons' hometown. Their address in September 1948 was 3207 Hueco Street, El Paso, Texas. They had at least one child, William Elmer Lyons Jr (19 Sep 1949 – 19 Jan 1950), who died as an infant and is buried at Evergreen Cemetery in El Paso, Texas.
Some relatives:
He had six siblings:
• Bernice Anna Benoodt (3 Mar 1914 – 4 Dec 1924); born and died at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois; buried at Mount Auburn Memorial Park, Stickney, Cook County, Illinois. Her birth mother might be Hattie A. (Forrester) Benoodt (abt 1885 – unk).
• Margaret Agatha (Benoodt) Oehler (28 May 1918 – May 1972); born at Chicago, Illinois; died at Kansas City, Missouri.
• Fred Charles Benoodt (3 Dec 1920 – 6 Dec 2006); born at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois (WWII draft registration); died at Carthage, Hancock County, Illinois; buried at Moss Ridge Cemetery, Carthage, Illinois.
• Mary Jane (Benoodt) Goodrum (20 Mar 1924 – 15 Jan 1999); born at Chicago, Illinois (birth record shows her name as Marie Jane Benoodt; and she signed her name Marie Jane Benoodt on a document in George Benoodt's IDPF)
• Richard Herman Benoodt (20 Jan 1926 – 29 May 1995); born at Downers Grove, DuPage County, Illinois (WWII draft registration); died at Alton, Madison County, Illinois.
• Paul John Benoodt (27 Apr 1927 – 12 Feb 2003); born at Downers Grove, DuPage County, Illinois; died at Twin Falls, Twin Falls County, Idaho.
Sources:
1. 487th Bomb Group Association
2. 1900 US Census; Illinois; Henry County; Cornwall Township. Benoodt, Clement. 2 Jun 1900 (his father's father)
3. 1910 US Census; Illinois; Cook County; Chicago; Ward 16. Kraft, Julian [sic]. 29 Apr 1910 (Julius Kraft, second husband of Anna (Sadlowski) Zemajda, his mother's mother; surname of Anna Zemajda's children by her first marriage is recorded as Smith instead of Zemajda)
4. 1920 US Census; ; Illinois; Cook County; Chicago; Ward 28. Kraft, Julius. 3 Jan 1920 (Second husband of Anna (Sadlowski) Zemajda, his mother's mother)
5. 1920 US Census; Illinois; Cook County; Chicago; Ward 28. Benwodtt, Fred [sic]. 7 Jan 1920 (Fred C. Benoodt, his father)
6. 1930 US Census; Illinois; DuPage County; York Township. Benoodt, Fred C. 9 Apr 1930 (Fred Cyril Benoodt, his father)
7. 1940 US Census; Illinois; Cook County; La Grange; Illinois Masonic Orphans' Home. Benoodt, George. 19 Apr 1940
8. Cemetery records of Cambridge American Cemetery, Madingley, Cambridgeshire, UK
9. Cemetery records of Mount Auburn Cemetery, Stickney, Cook County, IL
10. Daily Gate City (The), Keokuk, Iowa. Obituary of Fred C. Benoodt. 11 Dec 2006 (Fred Charles Benoodt, his brother)
11. de Jong, Ivo. The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H). Paducah KY: Turner Publishing, Oct 2004
12. Headquarters AAF Station 137, APO 559. Special Orders Number 192. 29 Oct 1944 (Henry M. Shepard crew assigned to 839th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group at Army Air Forces Station 137, Lavenham, England, effective 26 Oct 1944)
13. Hughey, Henry. Personal Conversation. 30 Sep 2012 (William Henry Hughey, called Henry; ball turret gunner on the Richmond C. Young crew, 838th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group; trained with George F. Benoodt and was a personal friend)
14. Illinois, Cook County, Birth Certificates, 1871–1940. George F. Benoodt was born on 23 Feb 1922; birth certificate registered at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois on 11 Mar 1942; parents: Fred C. Benoodt, who was born in Holland; and Agnes M. Zemajda, who was born in Pennsylvania
15. Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916–1947
• Bernice A. Benoodt died at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois on 4 Dec 1924 (his sister)
• Fred C. Benoodt died at Winfield, DuPage County, Illinois on 5 May 1930 (his father)
16. Illinois Marriages, 1879–1920. Fred C. Benoodt married Agnes M. Zemojda [Zemajda] at Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois on 10 Sep 1918. (his parents)
17. Obituary of Prudent J. Benoodt (1891–1937). Moline IL: The Dispatch, 6 Dec 1937 (obituary of his father's brother; Prudent Benoodt immigrated to America with his parents and siblings when he was 18 months old, about Jan 1893, and the family settled in Atkinson, Illinois.)
18. Oklahoma, County Marriages, 1890–1995. George F. Benoodt, age 22, married Caroline C. Gura, age 18, at Ardmore, Carter County, Oklahoma on 3 Aug 1944.
19. Social Security Death Index
20. Texas Birth Index, 1903–1997: William Elmer Lyons Jr was born at El Paso, Texas on 19 Sep 1949; father: William Elmer Lyons; mother: Caroline Catherine Benoodt
21. Texas Deaths, 1890–1976. Death Certificate of William Elmer Lyons Jr (son of William E. Lyons and Caroline C. (Gura) Benoodt Lyons)
22. U.S. Department of the Army, Adjutant General Office, Technical Records Section. Individual Deceased Personnel File of George F. Benoodt, 36784456 (aka 'IDPF' and '293 File')
23. U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945
24. U.S. School Yearbooks, 1900–1999 (ancestry.com): TABULAE [yearbook]. La Grange IL: Lyons Township High School, 1940 (George Benoodt's senior class photo on page 9)
25. U.S. War Department. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel. Washington, D.C., June 1946
26. U.S. World War II Draft Cards, Young Men, 1940–1947 (ancestry.com)
27. World War I Draft Registration of Fred Cyril Benoodt. 12 Sep 1918 (his father; middle name is spelled Cyriel in this document)
28. Wright, Constance L. 'Connie'. Personal Communication. May 2016 (a niece)
29. Zappen, William J. 'Bill'. Benoodt Family Tree and Personal Communication. Sep 2011 (a first cousin, once removed)
Research by:
Paul Webber
Find A Grave member ID 47577572
His parents married at Forest Park (Chicago), Cook County, Illinois on September 10, 1918. At that time they lived at 124 South Honore Street, Chicago, Illinois, and his father was a truck driver. In January 1920 the family lived at 2108 Bingham Street in Chicago, and his father was an automobile mechanic. In December 1924 (when his sister Bernice died) the family lived at 1439 West Madison Street in Chicago. They moved to Downers Grove, Illinois by January 1926 (when his brother Richard was born). In April 1930 the family lived on Sterling Road in Downers Grove and his father was an automobile repairman.
After his father died in May 1930, he lived with his brothers and sisters at the Illinois Masonic Children's Home in La Grange, Cook County, Illinois, so that his mother could work. His mother moved back to Chicago and worked as a machine operator in a dress shop. She took the train every weekend to see her children. He lived at the childrens' home through at least 1940, and graduated from Lyons Township High School in La Grange in 1940. He registered for the draft at Chicago on June 27, 1942. He was 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighed 185 pounds, and had blue eyes and brown hair. At that time he lived with his mother at 1447 West Madison Street in Chicago, and was employed by Lindberg Engineering Company.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army and entered active service on January 5, 1944. He completed Army Air Forces aerial gunnery training at Las Vegas, Nevada, and was assigned to the crew of Lt Henry M. Shepard. Lt Shepard's crew completed B-17 operational training at Ardmore, Oklahoma. George Benoodt married while he was at Ardmore. His wife was Caroline Catherine (Gura) Benoodt (abt Sep 1926 – unk), who was born at Gary, Indiana and resided at Chicago, Illinois. They married on August 3, 1944. George Benoodt's home of record was 133 West 110th Place, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, his wife's address in 1944.
Lt Shepard's crew was assigned to the 839th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England. They arrived in England by October 26, 1944, and became part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe.
After arrival in England, Sgt Benoodt trained to become a rated flight engineer. On December 31, 1944, the 487th Bomb Group dispatched thirty-one B-17s on a mission to bomb an oil refinery in the southern dock area of Hamburg, Germany. This was Sgt Benoodt's first combat mission. He flew as flight engineer with the crew of Lt Robert G. Kraker aboard B-17G 43-38278 in the 839th Bomb Squadron. He was killed in action when he was struck in the head by flak during the bomb run over Hamburg. His body was returned to Lavenham after the mission, and was buried at Cambridge American Cemetery in Plot T, Row 9, Grave 9 on January 2, 1945.
His remains were returned to the United States and interred at Mount Auburn Memorial Park in Berwyn (now Stickney), Cook County, Illinois on January 4, 1949. The military escort was Sgt John S. St. Jacques. Arrangements were handled by funeral director Claude L. Prish, 3421 Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. Sgt Benoodt was buried in an unmarked grave next to his parents in the Middle Edgewood Section, Lot 70.
A Veterans Administration grave marker for Sgt Benoodt was requested in December 2017, and arrived at the cemetery in February 2018. The marker was installed on April 13, 2018. The 487th Bomb Group Association was prepared to pay for the cost of installation, but the Mount Auburn Memorial Park company decided to waive the fee. Cemetery office manager Myra Ferri wrote, "I believe payment was in the form of Sgt. Benoodt's sacrifice to his country."
Sgt Benoodt's widow remarried after the war. Caroline C. Benoodt married William E. Lyons (abt 1922 – unk) at Chicago, Illinois on October 23, 1946. William and Caroline Lyons lived in El Paso, Texas, William Lyons' hometown. Their address in September 1948 was 3207 Hueco Street, El Paso, Texas. They had at least one child, William Elmer Lyons Jr (19 Sep 1949 – 19 Jan 1950), who died as an infant and is buried at Evergreen Cemetery in El Paso, Texas.
Some relatives:
He had six siblings:
• Bernice Anna Benoodt (3 Mar 1914 – 4 Dec 1924); born and died at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois; buried at Mount Auburn Memorial Park, Stickney, Cook County, Illinois. Her birth mother might be Hattie A. (Forrester) Benoodt (abt 1885 – unk).
• Margaret Agatha (Benoodt) Oehler (28 May 1918 – May 1972); born at Chicago, Illinois; died at Kansas City, Missouri.
• Fred Charles Benoodt (3 Dec 1920 – 6 Dec 2006); born at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois (WWII draft registration); died at Carthage, Hancock County, Illinois; buried at Moss Ridge Cemetery, Carthage, Illinois.
• Mary Jane (Benoodt) Goodrum (20 Mar 1924 – 15 Jan 1999); born at Chicago, Illinois (birth record shows her name as Marie Jane Benoodt; and she signed her name Marie Jane Benoodt on a document in George Benoodt's IDPF)
• Richard Herman Benoodt (20 Jan 1926 – 29 May 1995); born at Downers Grove, DuPage County, Illinois (WWII draft registration); died at Alton, Madison County, Illinois.
• Paul John Benoodt (27 Apr 1927 – 12 Feb 2003); born at Downers Grove, DuPage County, Illinois; died at Twin Falls, Twin Falls County, Idaho.
Sources:
1. 487th Bomb Group Association
2. 1900 US Census; Illinois; Henry County; Cornwall Township. Benoodt, Clement. 2 Jun 1900 (his father's father)
3. 1910 US Census; Illinois; Cook County; Chicago; Ward 16. Kraft, Julian [sic]. 29 Apr 1910 (Julius Kraft, second husband of Anna (Sadlowski) Zemajda, his mother's mother; surname of Anna Zemajda's children by her first marriage is recorded as Smith instead of Zemajda)
4. 1920 US Census; ; Illinois; Cook County; Chicago; Ward 28. Kraft, Julius. 3 Jan 1920 (Second husband of Anna (Sadlowski) Zemajda, his mother's mother)
5. 1920 US Census; Illinois; Cook County; Chicago; Ward 28. Benwodtt, Fred [sic]. 7 Jan 1920 (Fred C. Benoodt, his father)
6. 1930 US Census; Illinois; DuPage County; York Township. Benoodt, Fred C. 9 Apr 1930 (Fred Cyril Benoodt, his father)
7. 1940 US Census; Illinois; Cook County; La Grange; Illinois Masonic Orphans' Home. Benoodt, George. 19 Apr 1940
8. Cemetery records of Cambridge American Cemetery, Madingley, Cambridgeshire, UK
9. Cemetery records of Mount Auburn Cemetery, Stickney, Cook County, IL
10. Daily Gate City (The), Keokuk, Iowa. Obituary of Fred C. Benoodt. 11 Dec 2006 (Fred Charles Benoodt, his brother)
11. de Jong, Ivo. The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H). Paducah KY: Turner Publishing, Oct 2004
12. Headquarters AAF Station 137, APO 559. Special Orders Number 192. 29 Oct 1944 (Henry M. Shepard crew assigned to 839th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group at Army Air Forces Station 137, Lavenham, England, effective 26 Oct 1944)
13. Hughey, Henry. Personal Conversation. 30 Sep 2012 (William Henry Hughey, called Henry; ball turret gunner on the Richmond C. Young crew, 838th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group; trained with George F. Benoodt and was a personal friend)
14. Illinois, Cook County, Birth Certificates, 1871–1940. George F. Benoodt was born on 23 Feb 1922; birth certificate registered at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois on 11 Mar 1942; parents: Fred C. Benoodt, who was born in Holland; and Agnes M. Zemajda, who was born in Pennsylvania
15. Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916–1947
• Bernice A. Benoodt died at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois on 4 Dec 1924 (his sister)
• Fred C. Benoodt died at Winfield, DuPage County, Illinois on 5 May 1930 (his father)
16. Illinois Marriages, 1879–1920. Fred C. Benoodt married Agnes M. Zemojda [Zemajda] at Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois on 10 Sep 1918. (his parents)
17. Obituary of Prudent J. Benoodt (1891–1937). Moline IL: The Dispatch, 6 Dec 1937 (obituary of his father's brother; Prudent Benoodt immigrated to America with his parents and siblings when he was 18 months old, about Jan 1893, and the family settled in Atkinson, Illinois.)
18. Oklahoma, County Marriages, 1890–1995. George F. Benoodt, age 22, married Caroline C. Gura, age 18, at Ardmore, Carter County, Oklahoma on 3 Aug 1944.
19. Social Security Death Index
20. Texas Birth Index, 1903–1997: William Elmer Lyons Jr was born at El Paso, Texas on 19 Sep 1949; father: William Elmer Lyons; mother: Caroline Catherine Benoodt
21. Texas Deaths, 1890–1976. Death Certificate of William Elmer Lyons Jr (son of William E. Lyons and Caroline C. (Gura) Benoodt Lyons)
22. U.S. Department of the Army, Adjutant General Office, Technical Records Section. Individual Deceased Personnel File of George F. Benoodt, 36784456 (aka 'IDPF' and '293 File')
23. U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945
24. U.S. School Yearbooks, 1900–1999 (ancestry.com): TABULAE [yearbook]. La Grange IL: Lyons Township High School, 1940 (George Benoodt's senior class photo on page 9)
25. U.S. War Department. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel. Washington, D.C., June 1946
26. U.S. World War II Draft Cards, Young Men, 1940–1947 (ancestry.com)
27. World War I Draft Registration of Fred Cyril Benoodt. 12 Sep 1918 (his father; middle name is spelled Cyriel in this document)
28. Wright, Constance L. 'Connie'. Personal Communication. May 2016 (a niece)
29. Zappen, William J. 'Bill'. Benoodt Family Tree and Personal Communication. Sep 2011 (a first cousin, once removed)
Research by:
Paul Webber
Find A Grave member ID 47577572
Inscription
GEORGE F BENOODT
SGT US ARMY AIR FORCES
WORLD WAR II
FEB 23 1922 DEC 31 1944
487TH BOMB GROUP
