Sunday, February 20, 2022

The Biography of U.S. Coastal Artillery Private William Swift Vaughan by William Mortensen Vaughan

Epitaph

William Swift Vaughan
(1879-1952)
U.S. Coastal Artillery Spanish-American War Veteran from McPherson County, Kansas

Basic Data

Full Name at Birth: William Swift Vaughan

Alias: unknown

Relationship to Me: Paternal Grandfather
WikiTree ID: Vaughan-3999
FamilySearch ID: KHTJ-XPF

FindaGrave Memorial: 7392717/william-swift-vaughan

    Date of Birth:  12 July 1879
     Place of Birth: McPherson County, Kansas
    Gender at Birth:  male
U.S. Military

     Service Number: unknown
           Father: Luther Clay Vaughan (1849-1916)
           Mother: Mary Catharine Swift (1856-1918)
Siblings

(Children of

Luther Clay

Vaughan and Mary

Catharine Swift):
Vincent Sylvester Vaughan (1873-1927)
John Franklin Vaughan (1874-1955)

Maud Emily Vaughan (1875-1919)
Rutherford DeWitt Vaughan (1877-1960)
Wife: Maud Osborn Knowlton
Date of Marriage: 12 July 1920
Place of Marriage: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Only Two Children

of William Swift

Vaughan and Maud

Osborn Knowlton:
William Knowlton Vaughan
Sidney Knowlton Vaughan

Date of Death: 4 November 1952
Place of Death: Illinois
Place of Burial: Willard Grove Cemetery, Channahon, Will County, Illinois, U.S.A.

Biography

William Swift Vaughan was born to Luther Clay Vaughan and Mary Catherine Swift Vaughan, in McPherson County, Kansas, on July 12, 1879.

William served as a Private in the 93rd Company of the U.S. Coastal Artillery during the Spanish-American War. He turned eighteen on July 12, 1897; the Spanish-American War began on April 21, 1898; he entered the U.S. Military on May 13, 1898; he turned nineteen on July 12, 1898; the war ended on August 13, 1898; he left the Military on October 24, 1898; he re-joined the Military on April 22, 1901; and he was discharged on April 21, 1904.

William registered for the U.S. World War I Draft, in Chicago, Illinois, circa 1917.

William married Maud Osborn Knowlton, in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, on his forty-first birthday, July 12, 1920.

William and Maud had a son named William Knowlton Vaughan, in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, on June 14, 1921.

William and Maud had a son named "Sidney Knowlton Vaughan," in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, on or about July 30, 1923.

William registered for the World War II Draft, in Milton, Dupage County, Illinois, in 1942.

Maud died in Channahon, Will County, Illinois, on September 17, 1947. Her remains were buried in the Willard Grove Cemetery, in Channahon.

William died in Illinois, on November 4, 1952. His remains were buried with Maud's.

Research Notes

U.S. Census 1880

According to the U.S. Census of 1880, "William M Vaughn" [sic] was found living, at age "0," in Bloomfield, Davis County, Iowa, with his father, "Luther C. Vaughn," age 31 (born circa 1849); his mother, "Mary C. Vaughn," age 24 (born circa 1856); and his siblings: "Vincent S. Vaughn," age 7 (born circa 1873); "John F. Vaughn," age 6 (born circa 1874); Maud E. Vaughn," age 4 (born circa 1876); and "Rutherford B. Vaughn," age 3 (born circa 1877). William was born in Kansas, and his father was born in Indiana, but his mother and siblings were all born in Iowa.

U.S. Military Records

According to his Army Enlistment records, William was some type of "Clerk" when he enlisted, on May 13, 1898. The handwriting may be an abbreviation for "Billing" or "Postal Clerk." His hair was "brown"; his eyes, "Lt."; his complexion, "fair"; and he stood "5'4 3/4" tall.

According to his Veterans Administration Form 7202, "William Swift Vaughan" served as a Private with the "93 Co U S Cst Art," from "5/13/98" to "10/24/98," and from "4/22/01" to "4/21/04." He resided at "818 Hillside Ave Glen Ellyn Ill," and served at "St. Louis, Missouri." He was born on "7/12/79," in Chicago, Illinois, and died on "11-4-52."

The Spanish-American War began on April 21, 1898, and ended on August 13, 1898, so, born on July 12, 1879, he would have been eighteen and nineteen years old, on those dates.

12 JUL 1897, he turned eighteen years old.

21 APR 1898, the Spanish-American War began.

13 MAY 1898, he enlisted.

12 JUL 1898, he turned nineteen years old.

13 AUG 1898, the Spanish-American War ended.

24 OCT 1898, he was discharged.

12 JUL 1900, he turned twenty-one years old.

22 APR 1901, he re-enlisted.

12 JUL 1903, he turned twenty-four years old.
21 APR 1904, he was discharged again.

According to his Registration for the World War I Draft, "Wm S Vaughan" was born on "12 Jul 1879," and registered for the Draft, in Chicago, Illinois, on September 12, 1918. He resided at 324 N. Homan Avenue, in Chicago, Illinois. He listed himself as a "Student" at the Columbia College of Expression. He listed his next of kin as "Mrs. O.E. Toole," who resided at the same address. His height was "Medium"; his build, "Slender"; his eyes, "Blue"; his hair, "Dark." He was "Native Born" and "White." He had not lost an arm, leg, hand, or eye, and he was not "obviously physically disqualified."

According to the record of William's World War II Draft Registration, "William Swift Vaughan" registered in 1942. He still resided in Milton Township, DuPage County, Illinois. He was born on July 12, 1879.

Cook County Marriage

According to Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871-1968, "William S. Vaughan" married "Maud Knowlton,"on July 12, 1920, in Cook County, Illinois. He was 26, and she was 27; they were born circa 1894 and 1893, respectively (see Discrepancies, below). They resided in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.

Cook County Births

According to Illinois, Cook County, Birth Certificates, 1871-1949, "Wm. Knowlton Vaughan" was born to "Wm. R. Vaughan" and "Maud Knowlton," on June 14, 1921, in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. "Wm. R. Vaughan" was 41 years old, born circa 1880; Maud was 28, born circa 1893.

According to Illinois, Cook County, Birth Certificates, 1871-1949," "Sidney Knowelton Vaughan" was born to "Wm. Vaughan" and "Maud Knowleton," on July 31, 1923. Again, William's year of birth was estimated to be 1880, but Maud's, 1892.

U.S. Census 1930

According to the U.S. Census of 1930, "William S Vaughn" was born in "Kansas," circa 1880; "Maud K. Vaughn," [sic] in Illinois, circa 1893; "Willian K. Vaughn," [sic] in Illinois, circa 1922; and "Sidney K. Vaughn," [sic] in Illinois, circa 1924. This "White" family resided at 818 Hillside Avenue, in Glen Ellyn Village, Milton Township, DuPage County, Illinois. William owned his home, which was worth $8,000. He also owned a "Radio set."

Although William and Maud acknowledged that he was fifty, and she, thirty-seven years old, in 1930, they both listed their age at their first marriage as "28." This seems to indicate that William had another wife when he was twenty-eight years old, but I have yet to find any indication that he was ever married to anyone but Maud. (See Discrepancies, below.)

This record also indicates that, although both parents could read and write, neither had attended school or college since September 1, 1929. This record does not indicate whether or not their sons could read or write, but it does indicate that both of them had attended school since September 1. William's father (Luther Clay Vaughan) was allegedly born in Kentucky, and his mother (Mary Catharine Swift), in Iowa. Maud's father (Sheldon Densmore Knowlton) was allegedly born in Illinois, and her mother (Edna Osborn), in Ohio.

By profession, William was a postal clerk, and Maud, a public teacher.

This record also indicates that William was a Military Veteran who served in the Spanish-American War.

U.S. Census 1940

According to the U.S. Census of 1940, "William Vaughan," age 60 (born circa 1880), and his "White" family resided at 818 Hillside Avenue, in Glen Ellyn Village, Milton Township, DuPage County, Illinois. There do not appear to be any significant discrepancies between his answers on this census record and the one in 1930. Perhaps most noteworthy is that he claimed four years of college, and Maud, two or four; it's difficult to decipher the handwriting. William Knowlton Vaughan had completed four years of high school; Sidney, two. William still worked as a postal clerk, and Maud, as a public teacher.

Illinois Deaths

According to Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947, "William S. Vaughan's" wife, "Maud K. Vaughan," died on September 12, 1947, and was buried in Channahon, Will County, Illinois.

According to William's FindaGrave Memorial, "William Swift Vaughan" was born, on "12 Jul 1879," in "McPherson County, Kansas, USA"; died in "1952 (aged 72–73)," in "Illinois, USA"; and was buried in the "Willard Grove Cemetery," in "Channahon, Will County, Illinois, USA."

Y-DNA Corroboration

My relationship with William Swift Vaughan is corroborated by Y-DNA.

According to FamilyTreeDNA, a close, genetic cousin, believes that he is probably descended from

"Dewitt Rutherford Vaughan"
"b. 16 Feb 1877" - "Davis, Iowa, USA"
"d. 24 Jun 1960" - "St Petersburg, Pinellas, Florida, USA"

I believe that he is referring to my grand uncle, whom my Uncle Sidney Knowlton Vaughan identified as

Rutherford DeWitt Vaughan-4136 (LXMT-ZWH)

a sibling of my paternal grandfather, William Swift Vaughan-3999 (KHTJ-XPF), and a son of my paternal great grandfather, Luther Clay Vaughan-4000 (KHPS-3FS).

According to FamilyTreeDNA, thirty-five of thirty-seven of our markers are a match. According to FamilyTreeDNA's TiP (Time Predictor) sheet, it is more than 50% likely that the genetic cousin mentioned above and I share a common ancestor in four generations; 90%, in nine; and 99.9%, in twenty-one generations.

Discrepancies

M., R., or S.

Although the U.S. Census of 1880 identifies William Swift Vaughan as "William M. Vaughn," the record of William Knowlton Vaughan's birth identifies his father as "Wm. R. Vaughan." Most of William Swift Vaughan's records indicate that his name was "William Swift Vaughan" or "William S. Vaughan," in keeping with the tradition of using the mother's maiden name as her child's second, given name. William Swift Vaughan's mother was Mary Catharine Swift.

William's Age at Marriage

The record of William's marriage to Maud, in 1920, indicates that he was approximately a year younger than her, born circa 1894, whereas she was born circa 1893. However, the record of the birth of their oldest son, William Knowlton Vaughan, on June 14, 1921, and the record of the birth of their second son, Sidney Knowlton Vaughan, on July 31, 1923, indicate that the year of William Swift Vaughan's birth was circa 1880. Furthermore, most records of William Swift Vaughan's birth indicate that he was born in 1879. Presumably, he and Maud were embarrassed to admit that he was approximately thirteen years older than her when they were married, or that it was his forty-first birthday, but not when she delivered their first child approximately eleven months later. The U.S. Census of 1930 indicates that William was fifty, and Maud, thirty-seven, but they both listed the age when they were first married as twenty-eight! Apparently, they still felt the need to maintain the lie that they were near the same age when they were married, but, ten years later, they no longer remembered that, on their marriage record, they had listed their ages as twenty-six and twenty-seven. I have no reason to believe that William was married in his twenties, nor that he ever married anyone but Maud, on his forty-first birthday.

U.S. Census 1880

Although the U.S. Censuses of 1880 and 1930, and William's FindaGrave Memorial indicate that he was born in Kansas, his VA Form 7202 indicates that he was born in Chicago, Illinois. This was probably just an assumption by whoever wrote that on his VA Form; he was probably born in Kansas.

Trivia

William was married on his forty-first birthday, to a woman more than a decade his junior. His oldest son, William Knowlton Vaughan, also remained a bachelor until he was almost forty years old, and married a woman more than a decade his junior.

She was walking home from Temple Square, and crossed the street between Temple Square and the Hotel Utah. He struck up a conversation with her, and followed her to her apartment, to see where she lived. He told her that he would return to see her, but she doubted it, and she wasn't interested in seeing him again.

Another day, he returned and wrote a note on a piece of her room-mate's mail, indicating that he would return at a certain time to take her to a baseball game. My mother wasn't home, but her room-mate was, and she saw my father.

When my mother came home, her room-mate told her about "the most wonderful man" who had come and left the note for her. She wasn't even offended that he had used her mail to write a note to my mother. My mother wasn't interested in the man, but her room-mate persuaded her to get ready in time for my father to take her to the baseball game.

(This story shows how times have changed. Why was my mother's Mormon Missionary Companion at home when she was out? Why would she let a man she had just met in the street follow her home, to see where she lived?)

At the baseball game, my father bought them hot dogs, and asked for onions on his hot dog.

Coincidentally, my mother had recently decided that she wanted to marry a man who liked onions. She didn't know it at the time, but my father had hated onions all of his life. It was only a coincidence that he had come to like eating onions shortly before their first date. Perhaps my mother's room-mate had given him a hint. Who knows?

Anyway, my mother didn't particularly like onions, sports, or my father, but his eating onions on his hot dog sealed the deal; he was the man for her. She obsessed about this all through the night, after their date, telling her room-mate "And he likes onions!" over and over, again and again, ad tedium ad nauseam.

For his part, Bill had never been married, even though he was about forty years old. He had reason to believe he was going to die any day then. He had worked at various odd jobs, including as a janitor and stocking shelves. Something had fallen off a shelf, and hit him in the head. His injury was so severe, that he sought medical attention, and the doctor told him that he was "living on borrowed time"; he should already have been dead, and would probably die at any moment.

Because of his Mormon beliefs, Bill felt that it was important to get married before he died. He went to his Mormon Bishop to ask for advice. His Bishop told him to go home and write a list of what exactly he was looking for in a woman.

The first thing that he was looking for was "a Testimony" of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Mormonism. He was also looking for an educated woman.

My mother was a Mormon Missionary, born and raised in Utah and "in the the Covenant," so she had "a Testimony." She was, however, "slow." By her own admission, she only graduated from Box Elder High School "with a lot of extra help." She never learned to drive or ride a horse, or swim. But she owned a lot of books - especially books about Mormonism, such as Mormon Doctrine by Bruce R. McConkie, and Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage.

Bill told my mother about his head injury, and that he would understand if she didn't want to marry him, but she said she would, so they were married. According to the Deseret News, they were to be married, in the Salt Lake Temple, on March 24, 1961. The Salt Lake Tribune confirmed the date. My mother told me that Joseph Fielding Smith officiated at their wedding.

Names and Languages

My mother told me that she didn't have a nickname, although Bill called her his "sego lilly" and his "blackbird." She also told me that her full name, before she was married, was "Merle Mortensen." She became known as "Merle Mortensen Vaughan," when she married my father. She later became known as "Merle Allen," when she married my stepfather.

Danes and Swedes

My mother told me that she was descended from Danes and Swedes who converted to Mormonism, and migrated, to Utah, in the Nineteenth Century. She explained that Swedes spelled names such as "Mortensen" with an "o," instead of an "e," as the next to last letter; for example, they would spell "Mortensen" "Mortenson." She further explained that it was the tradition of my father's family to give the surname of their mothers to their children as their second, given names. Of course, it is a more popular tradition to name the firstborn son after his father, so my name was "William Mortensen Vaughan." My father's mother was Maud Osborn Knowlton, so Bill and his only sibling, a younger brother named Sid, were named "William Knowlton Vaughan" and "Sidney Knowlton Vaughan." Their father was the son of Luther Clay Vaughan and Mary Catharine Swift, and he was named "William Swift Vaughan." Maud Osborn Knowlton was the daughter of a man surnamed Knowlton, and a woman named Edna Osborn, so she was named "Maud Osborn Knowlton."

Welshmen

Unfortunately, my mother didn't know who my paternal forebears were before Luther Clay Vaughan, who she thought came to the U.S. on a boat from Wales.

My Mother's First Marriage

My parents were living in a mobile trailer home in Willard, Box Elder County, Utah, when I was born, at the Cooley Memorial Hospital, in Brigham City, Box Elder County, Utah. She told me that they lived there so that they could work, picking berries in Willard that fall; I was born, she told me, on October 5, 1962. She used to show me a picture that Bill had insisted on taking of me when I was an infant, while she was bathing me in the red sink of our trailer home. Because she was caught off guard, she placed one of her hands over my crotch to prevent my father from photographing that part of my body.

She told me that Bill moved with us to the Midwestern United States, near the Great Lakes, such as Lake Michigan, soon after I was born. She told me that our car broke down in Kansas, where we were stranded for at least several days, if not weeks or months.

She told me that my father got lost driving into an unmarked dead end, and drove on someone's front parking as he executed a three-point turn to leave.

Later, we were in church at a Mormon chapel, when the man whose front parking my father had driven over came in with a police officer, to handcuff my father and take him away for his crime. Luckily, one of the members of the congregation was willing and able to pay the fine, and persuade the policeman to unhand my father so he didn't have to be separated from his wife and child.

My father found a job as a teacher at a school in Illinois, but died before his first day on the job, at our home in Winthrop Harbor, in late August, 1966.

Utah

My father's brother, Sid, moved me and my mother into his home, and helped my mother make funeral arrangements. We couldn't have asked for a more supportive relative. Sid treated my mother like a sister, and me, as if I were his own son, even though he and his wife, my Aunt Char, already had two sons of his own, David and Warren.

He did, however, respect my mother's wishes, and understood her desire to return to Utah. After my father's funeral, my Aunt Sylvie helped us move from the Midwest to Salt Lake City, Utah. We lived in the historic Hollywood Apartments for about a year, circa 1967, when I celebrated my fifth birthday.

Before I could celebrate my sixth birthday, my Aunt Sylvie had moved us into a two-bedroom house, which she owned, at 1745 Childs Avenue, in Ogden, Utah.

Three Quarter Siblings

My mother told me that my Aunts Ruth, Sylvia, and Marian were her nieces, which meant that they were my first cousins, but I called them my aunts, because they were old enough to be my mother's sisters. My mother was the only child that Violet Stella Smith bore her husband, Christian Hyrum Mortensen, but his first wife, Hulda Amelia Smith, was Violet's sister, and had born him a lot of children, three of whom lived to meet me: Blanche, Hulda, and Clara. Because their mother was my mother's sister, and their father was the same man, my mother called them "three quarter sisters," instead of just "half sisters."

My Stepfather

Because my mother never learned to drive, we often walked for miles around Ogden, to get where we were going. We also took city buses, and occasionally, taxis.

To get to the bus stop, we often walked a half block south, from our home, to 18th Street. Then we turned left, and walked two blocks to Washington Boulevard. Washington Boulevard was the main street in Ogden, where most of the buses ran.

A deaf man named Ralph Allen, Senior, owned two lots on 18th Street, including the empty lot on the northeast corner of Childs Avenue and 18th Street. His house was on the adjacent lot to the east. Our home was on the opposite side of Childs Avenue, and there were some bushes which had grown over the sidewalk, so we usually jay walked around them.

One summer day, when I was thirteen years old, and my mother and I were walking home, Ralph was trimming those bushes.

After we got home, my mother touched up her make-up, and left me at home, alone, while she went back to thank Ralph for trimming the bushes.

I didn't see much of my mother for the next month or so. They were married on October 8, 1976, three days after I turned fourteen. After the reception at a restaurant called Le Maison, I think, we moved into Ralph's home, where I lived until I graduated from high school.

My stepfather was abusive, but my Mormon Bishop told me that the Lord wanted me to remain in Ralph's home until I graduated from high school. I moved out less than a week after my high school graduation, in the spring of 1981. Eventually, after serving a Mormon Mission in Uruguay, I joined the U.S. Marine Corps, then the U.S. Army National Guard, and, finally, the Regular Army.

Ralph died in February of 2002, while I was stationed at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. I returned to Ogden to accompany my mother to his funeral at the Aultorest Memorial Park. As we rode together in the back of a car, in the funeral procession, my mother offered me one of Ralph's gold watches, which she said Ralph, Jr. had told her to give me. I told her to give it back, because I already had a gold tooth to remember him by.

Outside the chapel, at Ralph's funeral, my stepsister's husband, John, told me that, since my stepfather was dead, I would need to do a better job of staying in touch with my mother, as if I hadn't brought my mother to the funeral on time... That was the last time I saw him. He died about seven years later. I guess I hadn't done a very good job of staying in touch with my mother, because I missed his funeral.

The Pioneer Care Center

My stepbrother and my stepsister told my mother that she would need to find herself a new home when my stepfather died, because they were going to sell his property and divide the money between the two of them. My stepfather had made arrangements for her to receive an inheritance of approximately $800 per month, which they felt was sufficient for her to live on SOMEWHERE ELSE.

Both Ralph, Jr. and his sister, Carol, had nice homes of their own, and lived in better neighborhoods. In fact, I never sat foot in Carol's new home, and the one day that my mother went to see her new home, when she happened to be in Salt Lake City for a T.O.P.S. or Weight Watchers convention, and a friend was kind enough to give her a ride, Carol told her to never go there without first making arrangements. I don't think my mother ever went back...

When my Aunt Sylvie found out that Ralph and Carol were kicking my mother out, she had a conversation with them. I don't know exactly what she told them, but they decided to let my mother live in their father's home until she died, as long as someone else paid the taxes on the home.

Unfortunately, my mother fell, at home, alone, and couldn't get herself up, in October, 2013. Luckily, she often received visits from her Mormon "Home Teachers." They found her before she died. But my Aunts (Sylvie and Marian) and I agreed that the best thing to do was to put her in a nursing home, in Brigham City, where they could keep an eye on her. Marian lived in Brigham City, and Sylvie, nearby, in Mantua.

T O B E C O N T I N U E D . . .

Research Notes

According to the U.S. Census of 1940, "Christian Mortenson" was living in Box Elder County, Utah, with his wife, "Violet Mortenson," and their daughter, "Merle Mortenson." Christian was fifty-nine years old (born circa 1881); Violet, forty-six (born circa 1896); and Merle, six (born circa 1934).

According to my Utah Certificate of Live Birth, "Merle Vaughan" gave birth to me, "William Mortensen Vaughan," in Brigham City, Utah, on October 5, 1962, and my father was "William Knowlton Vaughan." She was twenty-eight (born circa 1934), and he was forty-one (born circa 1921); she was born in Brigham City, Utah, and he was born in Chicago, Illinois.

Mistaken Identities

T.B.D.

Discrepancies

T.B.D.

The only photograph of Bill and Sid together, as children, that I have ever seen, is of them with their maternal grandmother, Edna Osborn, at "the Shacks in Channahon," courtesy of Dead Fred. These "Shacks" were probably a Hooverville, when Sid was about four years old; Bill, six; and Edna, fifty-eight. Edna died on December 20, 1931.

As children, Bill and Sid created a magazine they called "Boys' Nature," with colored pencils, pens, a typewriter, and acorn clips. My Uncle Sid mailed me the original copy, circa 2000.

High School and College

Bill probably attended a predecessor of Glenbard South High School, named Glen Ellyn High School, until 1938 or 1939, because his brother's obituary mentions that he (Sid) attended that high school. Born in 1921, Bill would have been seventeen or eighteen years old by then.

In 1941, a photograph of Bill appeared on page 47 of North Central College's yearbook. North Central College is located approximately ten miles from 814 Hillside Avenue, so Bill may have lived in Naperville, Illinois, where that college is located, or he may have continued living at home with his parents and brother.

By the time Bill registered for the World War II Draft, he indicated that he was a "Student," with a mailing address in Logan, Utah, where, according to my mother, he studied zoology at Utah State University, because he believed that they had the best zoology school in the U.S.A. By his first enlistment date, August 4, 1942, he had completed two years of college.

World War II

Bill entered active duty, in the U.S. Army, by March 11, 1943. He must have completed a college degree at North Cental College or Utah State University, because he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. He served in the 49th Armored Infantry, a battalion subordinate to the 8th Armored Division during World War II. The 8th Armored Division arrived in France on January 5, 1945, approximately six months after D-Day, June 6, 1944. They fought the Nazis until Gestapo Chief Heinrich Himmler was captured; then they occupied Europe until they were officially "dismounted," on October 26, 1945, at Camp Phillip Morris, near Le Havre, France; they were inactivated, by Gen. Charles F. Colson, on November 13, 1945, at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia. Bill was discharged on April 21, 1946. He appears on the right, in the photograph below, which is, presumably, of his brother, Sid's wedding to Char. Sid is seen standing between Bill and Char; the woman on the left is, presumably, Char's sister. This wedding occurred on April 13, 1946, so Sid must have timed it so that his brother, Bill, could attend while on Terminal Leave from the U.S. Army, after returning from Europe.

G.I. Bill

U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed "the G.I. Bill" into law, on June 22, 1944. Bill must have taken advantage of this, and started attending the University of California at Berkeley as soon as he was discharged, in 1946. Bill's name is listed among the Bachelors in their Eighty-Seventh Commencement, published four years after his Honorable Discharge. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley on June 16, 1950, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology.

Australia

According to my mother, Bill served an L.D.S. Mission in Australia. She showed me a picture of him standing, in a suit and tie, with a koala in each hand. According to Bill's own account, in "Academic Freedom From the Inside," he lived in Australia for two years, from 1950 to 1952, after graduating from the University of California at Berkeley.

Little Black Sambo and the Pinkos

Bill was a writer, and at least one of his articles, about Little Black Sambo, politics, and "pinkos," titled "Academic Freedom From the Inside," was published by American Mercury magazine, in September, 1954.

B.Y.U.

According to my mother's engagement announcement, which was published in the Deseret News, Bill studied at Brigham Young University, as well as Utah State University and the University of California at Berkeley.

Courtship

Bill met my mother in a crosswalk between Temple Square and the Hotel Utah, in Salt Lake City, Utah, circa 1960 - probably during the General Conference in the fall of 1960. A "return Missionary," he was probably studying at B.Y.U., in Provo, working on his "M.R.S." Degree. What better place to find a Mormon wife? What better place to meet young, Mormon women than Temple Square during General Conference?

For more details about their relationship, see The Biography of Merle Mortensen.

Bill's Few, Final Years

According to my "Utah Certificate of Live Birth," my father was a "white" man named "William Knowlton Vaughan," who worked as a "Guard," at "Thiokol." He was forty-one years old (born circa 1921), in "Chicago, Ill."

My mother was a "white" woman named "Merle Mortensen," who resided at the "Wishing Well Motel, Rt. 2, Willard, Box Elder County, Utah." According to my mother, who raised me until I was eighteen years old, she and her husband, Bill, lived in a trailer home, in Willard, and worked picking berries during the harvest when I was born, on October 5, 1962.

My father's nickname was "Bill." My nickname was "Willie." I never learned to answer to "Bill."

According to my mother, soon after I was born, my father moved with us, to the Midwestern United States, near the Great Lakes, such as Lake Michigan, where we remained until my father died, when I was three years old.

Some of my earliest memories are of my father. I remember him taking us to Dairy Queen, which was founded in Joliet, Illinois, in 1940. My favorite treat from Dairy Queen was chocolate covered ice cream on a Popsicle stick, in the form of a disc, like an extra large lollypop.

We also liked Life Savers. Our favorite flavors were spearmint and Wint-O-Green. One day, my father gave me two, brand new rolls of Life Savers - one in each of our favorite flavors. By the time he asked for one, I had lost both rolls. I felt bad all day. Luckily, later that day, I found them. I discovered that there was a hole in my pants pocket, and they had slipped through this hole, but had not fallen out the bottom of the pant leg, because it was tight enough to keep them pressed against my leg.

My father took me to a basketball game once. I remember crying at that game. My mother told me that my father thought it was because the game ended, and I wanted the players to keep playing.

Some of my earliest memories are of the books my father gave me. My mother told me that he started reading to me as soon as he got me out of the hospital, after I was born. Perhaps my favorite book was A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson. I liked that book so much that I wore it out, and my parents gave me another copy of it.

Bill gave me another book, titled Little Black Sambo, which he mentioned in "Academic Freedom From the Inside." (See above.)

I remember sitting between my parents on the front seat of their car, as they were parked in the shade, near the beach, presumably, at Lake Michigan. I remember gathering the silver bodies of dead fish on the beach, because they appeared to be silver, and I thought that they were valuable, and that I was becoming rich.

I remember my parents taking me to church. We were Mormons. One day, in the foyer of our chapel, I saw another child running the little, black, rubber wheels of a purple Matchbox car over an upholstered "easy chair." I asked the child to let me do that. Apparently, he had been taught to share his toys, so he let me run the wheels of his car over the easy chair.

Then some grown-ups took him away from me, before I could return his car. There I stood, age three or younger, with someone else's property in my hands, understanding that I had a moral obligation to return that property to its rightful owner. The spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak.

It seems like we were parked in the driveway at the child's house. I don't know how I knew where I was, but I remember struggling to explain to my parents that I had a toy which belonged to the child who lived there.

Later, as I sat between them on the front seat of our car, they discovered the toy car, and asked each other how it came into my possession.

Unfortunately, the mystery was never solved, and that purple Matchbox car remained in my possession until I was about ten years old, and had started collecting Hot Wheels instead.

The Day My Dad Died

My father loved me, and I loved him; of this, there was never any doubt. I still remember how rough his unshaven neck felt against my tender skin when he came home from work and hugged me.

We did odd things together. He drank water from our toilet, and served it to me in a little, blue plastic cup. Seeing us drink toilet water upset my mother, but we did it anyway; it was "a guy thing." However, we preferred grape juice.

My mother told me that the following memories spanned weeks, or at least days, but I remember the day my father died, of a cerebral hemorrhage.

Before my father met my mother, he had been working as a stocker, and something heavy had fallen off a shelf, and hit him in the head. The doctor told him that he was "living on borrowed time." He didn't have long to live, and could die at any moment.

My father had told my mother about this before they were married, in case she didn't want be become a young widow. She married him anyway.

Bill had always wanted to teach school. The week before he died, he obtained the job of his dreams at a school for boys. His new employers gave him a tour, of the school and its grounds, and his classroom, where he was going to teach. He was scheduled to start the next school day, after the weekend. It was near the end of August, 1966, so that was probably Friday, August 26th, and the school year was probably going to start Monday, August 29th.

One morning, presumably Monday, August 29th, blood was dripping out of my father's eyes, ears, and mouth, and he couldn't swallow anything - not even water, or the grape juice that my mother served him.

Needless to say, my mother was very alarmed, and sent me outside to play with my kittens. I had two "Minx" or Manx kittens; one was black, and the other, orange. As I sat playing with them on our porch, I sensed that someone was watching me, so I looked up. There was a window in the upper part of the door, and I could see my father smiling down at me. My mother was trying to force him away from the door, but he was still too strong for her to overpower him.

I'll never forget that look on his face. I knew that he was happy, and I knew that he loved me and my mother.

Finally, he allowed my mother to escort him away from the window. That was the last time I saw him alive.

This experience taught me a valuable lesson: If you live a good life, full of love, you can die happy.

Research Notes

According to "Illinois, Cook County, Birth Certificates, 1871-1949," "Wm. Knowlton Vaughan" was born, to "Wm. R. [sic] Vaughan" and "Maud Knowlton," on June 14, 1921, in "Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States." William's father was forty-one years old, and his mother, twenty-eight, born circa 1880 and 1893, respectively.

Although the photo of Sid, Edna, and Bill, above, is dated 1927, I suspect that it was taken in 1929, and that "the Shacks" were a Hooverville.

According to the U.S. Census of 1930, "William R. [sic]," "Maud K.," William K.," and "Sidney K. Vaughn [sic]" resided at 818 Hillside Avenue, Glen Ellyn Village, Milton Township, DuPage County, Illinois. The elder William's middle initial should have been "S." for "Swift," his middle name, and the maiden name of his mother, Mary Catharine Swift. "William R." had been born in Kansas, and was fifty years old (born circa 1880). Maud and the boys had been born in Illinois. Maud was thirty-seven years old (born circa 1893), and William and Sidney were eight and six years old (born circa 1922 and 1924, respectively). The "K." stood for Maud's maiden name, "Knowlton."

According to the U.S. Census of 1940, "William," "Maud K.," William K.," and "Sydney K. Vaughan" resided at 814 Hillside Avenue, Glen Ellyn Village, Milton Township, DuPage County, Illinois. William was sixty years old (born circa 1880). Maud and the boys were thirty-seven, eighteen, and sixteen years old (born circa 1893, 1922 and 1924, respectively).

According to the application for his tombstone, William Knowlton Vaughan served with the 49th Armored Infantry Battalion, 8th Armored Division, and attained the rank of Second Lieutenant, in the U.S. Army, during World War II. He studied at several colleges, and received a Bachelor of Letters and Science Degree in Psychology from the University of California at Berkeley; his portrait is in their 1950 yearbook, and his name is listed among the graduates, on page 67 of their 87th Commencement, dated June 16, 1950. He also attended North Central College, in Naperville, Illinois; his portrait is on page 47 of their 1941 yearbook. According to my mother, and the announcement of their engagement, in the Deseret News, March 6, 1961, he attended Utah State University, in Logan, Utah. According to his Selective Service Registration for World War II, he was a "Student" who resided at 814 Hillside Avenue, in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, with his next of kin, "Wm. S. Vaughan," but his mailing address was 357 E. 5 N. Logan, Utah, and his phone number was on the "Logan" "Exchange." Presumably, he transferred from North Central College to Utah State University, where he earned a degree by the time he was drafted into the U.S. Army, on March 11, 1943, which is why he was subsequently commissioned as an Officer.

Unfortunately, there isn't a date on Bill's World War II Draft Registration Card. The record of his Enlistment indicates that he enlisted on August 4, 1942, at which time, it indicates, he had completed two years of college. His Service Number was 36361813. The first digit indicates that he was drafted; the second, that he entered the Service in Illinois, Wisconsin, or Michigan.

DNA Corroboration

According to FamilyTreeDNA, I have a Y-DNA match, who believes that he is descended from a man named Dewitt Rutherford Vaughan, who was born, in Iowa, on February 16, 1877, and died, in Pinellas County, Florida, in June, 1960. Before my DNA was tested, my Uncle Sid e-mailed me information, circa 2000, which he had about our forebears. He indicated that Luther Clay Vaughan had five children: "Vincent Sylvester Vaughan," who was born "3 Nov 1862," and died in 1925; "John Franklin Vaughan," who was born on "28 Mar 1874"; Maud Emily Vaughan, who was born on "29 Oct 1875"; Rutherford DeWitt Vaughan [no dates of birth, marriage, or death]; and "William Swift Vaughan," who was born on "12 July 1879." Sid listed Rutherford DeWitt Vaughan between Maud, born in 1875; and William Swift Vaughan, born in 1879, so he was probably born circa 1877, and is almost certainly the Dewitt Rutherford Vaughan that my Y-DNA match believes is his forebear.

Personal Notes

As I research the genealogy of my forebears, the most important question that comes to my mind is, perhaps, "What makes me think that this person is the child of whoever I think their parents are?" The purpose of the Research and Personal Notes sections is to answer this question and similar questions.

What makes me think that William Knowlton Vaughan was my father?

I lived with my father from the time I was born, until approximately five weeks before my fourth birthday. I lived with my mother, his only wife, until I was eighteen years old and graduated from high school. I have remained in contact with my mother and her relatives throughout my life - at least, until 2020.

My mother is a "born in the Covenant," Utah Mormon. Mormons, they might say, have "written the book" on genealogy. Their genealogical library in Salt Lake City, Utah, has become known as the largest in the world; it has been listed as such by the Guinness Book of World Records. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) also created the GEDCOM, the file type used to transfer soft copies of family trees between websites and genealogical applications. They also own and operate one of the most popular, free, genealogical websites in the world: www.FamilySearch.org

As a Mormon and a Daughter of the Utah Pioneers, my mother kept what Mormons call Books of Remembrance. These were binders that were a standard size, perhaps 8 1/2 inches tall by 14 inches wide; the bound edge was one of the short edges. The Church sells these binders in various colors and designs, and in various levels of quality, at corresponding costs. The Church also sells various types of pages to fit perfectly in them, each page having two holes for the two Acorn clips or perhaps steel or aluminum binding posts, depending on the quality of the particular book. The most typical type of page for these binders is, perhaps, the blank pedigree chart. These books are essentially scrapbooks, primarily about genealogy. These are ideal for situations in which one's family Bible doesn't have enough flyleaves upon which to record the births, marriages, and deaths of everyone in the family.

According to information recorded in these books, my mother's name was "Merle Mortensen," and my father's, "William Knowlton Vaughan," the son of William Swift Vaughan, the son of Luther Clay Vaughan. Allegedly, my father was born in Chicago, Illinois, on June 14, 1921. Luther Clay had allegedly migrated on a boat from Wales, to the U.S.A., although I discovered years later, that he was probably born, in Indiana, to John Vaughan and Louisa Hensley, who were born in Kentucky and Indiana, respectively.

To the best of my knowledge, William only had one sibling, who was a younger brother, named Sidney Knowlton Vaughan, also known as "Sid." William was known as "Bill." William only had one wife, Merle Mortensen; and neither of them had but one child, William Mortensen Vaughan.

According to my mother, Bill studied zoology at Utah State University, in Logan, Utah, because he had heard that U.S.U. had the best zoology program. That's where his landlady introduced him to Mormonism. Presumably, he graduated from North Central College or U.S.U. by March 11, 1943, when he was drafted, according to the application for his tombstone.

I inherited some of Bill's military insignia and appurtenances, including his Garrison Cap and "butter bar," as well as an Armor patch, and three medals:

The World War II Victory Medal
The American Campaign Medal
The European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal

Upon researching the 49th Armored Infantry Battalion, I discovered that it was subordinate to the 8th Armored Division, during World War II, and that Division's personnel typically received both of the Campaign Medals listed above.

Mistaken Identities

Based on data at Fold3.com, men identified as "William K. Vaughan" have been serving in the U.S. Military since the Civil War. There were at least three men, including my father, identified as "William K. Vaughan," who served during World War II:

William K. Vaughan (my father)
Army Serial Number: 36361813
Born: 14 Jun 1921, in Chicago, Illinois
Died: 30 Aug 1966, in Winthrop, Illinois
Enlisted: 4 Aug 1942

William K. Vaughan
Service Number: O27333
Born: 6 Oct 1922, in N.J.
Died: 27 Mar 2012
Last 4: 3574
B.S., U.S.M.A.: " 45"
1 lt. A. U.S. 27 Nov 4
Cadet M.A. 8 Aug 42
2 lt. of Cavalry 5 Jun 45

William K. Vaughan
Army Serial Number: 06287636
Born: 1911
Enlisted: 19 Nov 1945

Discrepancies

Although the record of William Knowlton Vaughan's birth identifies his father as "Wm. R. Vaughan," other records indicate that William's father was "William S." or "William Swift Vaughan,"in keeping with the tradition of using the mother's maiden name as her child's second, given name. William Swift Vaughan's mother was Mary Catharine Swift.

The U.S. Census of 1930 indicates that the Vaughans lived at 818 Hillside Avenue, in Glen Ellyn, DuPage County, Illinois; the U.S. Census of 1940 indicates that they lived at 814... When Bill and Sid registered for the World War II Draft, they both listed their residence as 814...

There seems to be a discrepancy in the dates of Bill's Enlistment, but he probably registered for the Draft in 1941, or early 1942, after transferring from North Central College to Utah State University; he was probably sworn in, on August 4, 1942, then reported for duty, on March 11, 1943, after receiving a college degree from U.S.U. It is uncertain who gave him what college degree before he became a Lieutenant, but it is evident from his tombstone and the military records associated with him, that he was a Second Lieutenant, and he did serve with the 49th Armored Infantry, in the U.S. Army between 1943 and 1946. The application for his tombstone lists the date of his Discharge as April 21, 1946.

The Genealogy of William Mortensen Vaughan

Sunday, February 20, 2022

The Biography of U.S. Coastal Artillery Private William Swift Vaughan by William Mortensen Vaughan

Epitaph

Basic Data

Biography

Research Notes

U.S. Census 1880

U.S. Military Records

Cook County Marriage

Cook County Births

U.S. Census 1930

U.S. Census 1940

Illinois Deaths

Y-DNA Corroboration

Discrepancies

M., R., or S.

William's Age at Marriage

U.S. Census 1880

Trivia

See Also

The Biography of Merle Mortensen by William Mortensen Vaughan

Basic Data

Biography

Research Notes

Mistaken Identities

Discrepancies

See Also

Saturday, February 19, 2022

The Biography of World War II U.S. Army Second Lieutenant William Knowlton Vaughan

Epitaph

Basic Data

Biography

Research Notes

DNA Corroboration

Personal Notes

Mistaken Identities

Discrepancies

See Also