Lanza/Meier/Marhiene
David's family
| Samuel Edward Lanza Sr. |
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| U. S. Marine Corps, WWII |
Samuel Edward Lanza Sr., served from March
10, 1944 until August 12, 1946.
He was a Rifleman with Company K, 3rd Batt.,
1st Reg., 1st Marine Div.
He took part in the third assault on
Okinawa, Japan, April 1, 1945. After 22 days of fierce fighting, he took a
hit from a satchel charge which blew off parts of his right arm, hand, leg and buttocks. He was promoted to Corporal
the day he was dischanged with 100 % disability. He refused to be "disabled" his whole life and went on to work for
the Army, taking care of a wife and raising 7 children & raising some of his grandchildren.
On May 24, 1946 he married Shirley Joyce Meier
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She was from Wisconsin. They had 7 children; Margaret (Peggy), Linda, Sam Jr., Elaine,
Marilyn, David and Edward.
He is the grandfather of 8, great-grandfather
of 13 and great-great-grandfather of 4.
He is David's father.
| Joseph Lee Lanza, 1918 WWI |
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Joseph Lee Lanza Sr., World
War I. U.S. Army, did his training at Fort Dix, New Jersey. He was not even a citizen of the United States when
he served in the Army.
He was from Sicily and
finally became a citizen many years after the war.
He is the father of Samuel, Charles & Louis Lanza,
also on this page.
He also had one daughter Lena Lanza Clark and one son,
Joseph Jr. who died in infancy.
He is the grandfather of David Lanza Sr.
| Louis Lanza, U. S. Army WWII 1942 |
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Louis Lanza, United States
Army, WWII, 1942. He served from 1942 until 1973 after more than 31 years of service.
Along with his unit, the
4th Armored Division, he landed on Normandy Beach on D-Day.
He retired in 1973 as 1st
Sgt.
He is buried in Fort Sam
Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, Texas as is his wife.
He married Katharina (Karen)
Hauch. They had 6 children, 3 sons and 3 daughters.
He is an uncle to David Lanza Sr., brother to Samuel Lanza
Sr., pictured above, and the son of Joseph Lee Lanza, also above.
| Charles J. Lanza, U.S. Army World War II |
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Charles J. Lanza Sr., U. S. Army, World War
II, 1942. I will get more information about his service years soon.
He married Clemetine Manna, February 27, 1946
in Warren, OH and they had three sons, Charles Jr., Joseph Lee II, and Thomas and one daughter Kathy.
He is a brother of Samuel Lanza.
| Mark Eugene Swope Sr. U. S. Air Force |
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| U.S. Air Force Presidential Honor Guard Percision Drill Team |
Mark Eugene Swope Sr.,
United States Air Force Presidential Honor Guard Percision Drill Team, Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C.
During his tour of duty, Mark traveled with the Honor Guard
Drill team to many states and countries and even appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno"
Mark enlisted in the Air Force after High School graduation
on September 7, 1990 and was discharged July 26, 1996. He then served in the Air Force Reserves until 1997 or early
1998. His last duty station was Wright Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio.
Mark is now a police officer.
Mark is the father of one son, Mark Jr.
Mark is a grandson of Samuel & Shirley
Meier Lanza Sr.; great-grandson of Joseph Lee Lanza Sr. and a nephew of David Lanza Sr.
We are all very proud of the person you have
become Mark!
God Bless you always.
| Sgt. Siegfried Meier 1864 |
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| Company H, 28th Wisconsin Infantry, Civil War |
Sgt. Siegfried Meier, Company
H, 28th Wisconsin Infantry, Civil War.
Enlisted August 20, 1862,
at Muskego, Wisconsin. He had the rank of Private until August 1, 1864, Corpl. until January 22, 1865 when he was promoted
to Sgt.
According to his pension
records, he had blue eyes, light hair, light complexion and was 5 ft. 5 in. tall.
He was discharged, August 23, 1865 at Brownsville,
Texas.
He was born
February 22, 1831 in Shuben, Germany and came to this country August 1, 1857. He was married to Evarosine Falikowski
and with her they had 11 children. They were divorced in 1889 and he remarried in 1899 to Cecelia Beyer.
He lived in
the Wisconsin Veteran's Home when he died, going there about 1911.
He died on
October 11, 1913 and is buried in Silver Lake Cemetery, Portage, Columbia County, Wisconsin.
He is the great-great-grandfather
of David Lanza Sr. on his mother's side of the family.
| Frederick Henry Marheine, Civil War |
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Pvt Frederick Henry Marheine, Company C and
Company K, 53rd Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry.
Frederick was wounded in his right eye
and lost sight in it.
He was discharged at the end of the war
in 1865.
Frederick is the great-great-grandfather
of David Lanza Sr. on his mother's side. Frederick's daughter, Emma, married Albert Meier, son of Siegfried Meier above.
| William Nolan Cassel Civil War |
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William
Nolan Cassel, Civil War. At age 17, in 1862, he enlisted in Company "H", 21st Iowa Infantry. He served until the
end of the war in 1865.
His obituary states: "William Cassel
served his country with courage and fidelity as a soldier during the Civil War. He was a charter member of the John
Green Post, G.A.R. at Eau Galle, Wisconsin and an active and zealous member of the Grand Army whose memory will be cherished
by his comrades who still linger on this side of the borderline."
He died in the National Soldiers Home in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, June 5, 1919. He was laid to rest in Waubeek Cemetery, Dunn County, Wisconsin where his father Jacob Cassel
is also buried.
He
was the great-uncle of Shirley Joyce Meier Lanza and the father of Gordon Cassel.
| Edward Gustav Meier |
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| U.S. Army World War I |
Edward served during World War I in Europe.
He was wounded but was treated and sent back. He received the Purple Heart and the Silver Star. He was the son
of Albert Karl Meier and Emma Marheine. His daughter, Shirley Joyce Meier-Lanza.
| Leonard Meier, World War I |
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Leonard A. Meier, U. S. Army, World War I,
Cavalry. Leonard is a brother of Edward Meier and an uncle of Shirley Joyce Meier Lanza. His grandfathers were
Siegfried Meier and Frederick Marheine, Civil War soldiers, photos on this page.
| George Meier Jr., U. S. Marine Corps, Korean War |
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George Walter Meier Jr., U. S. Marine Corps
served during the Korean War and was wounded in both legs.
He is a son of George Walter Meier Sr. and
Sadie Salverson and a grandson of Carl Albert Meier and Emma Marheine and a great-grandson of Siegfried Meier and
Frederick Marheine.
He was born October 22, 1929 in Wisconsin and
died March 11, 1992.
| Paul Meier, U. S. Army, WWII 1943 |
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Paul Meier, U. S. Army, World War II, taken
about 1943. He is the oldest son of Albert Meier and Mamie Olson.
He is also the grandson of Carl Albert Meier
and Emma Marheine and the great-grandson of Siegfried Meier and Evarosine Falikowski and the great-grandson of Frederick
Marheine and Henriette Mohrhoff.
| Allison Reese Meier |
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| Shirley Meier Lanza's brother |
Allison Reese Meier, U. S. Army.
He is the older brother of Shirley Joyce Meier Lanza and the son of Edward and Connie Cassel Meier.
| Richard James Meier, U. S. Army |
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Richard James Meier, U. S. Army. Younger
brother of Shirley Joyce Meier Lanza and the son of Edward and Connie Cassel Meier.
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Taylor/Horner Family
Carol's family.
| Sgt. William Albert Taylor, 1965 |
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| U.S. Marine Corps, Vietnam Veteran |
Another Marine!
William Albert Taylor, U.S. Marines.
Served from 1964 until 1970.
Went to the Dominican Republic right out of
boot camp and fought there about 1964, 14 months in Vietnam in 1965, reenlisted and was stationed at Pearl Harbor until he
was discharged.
Bill is the father of three sons, Jeff, Greg,
and David and three daughters, Renea, Kae and Krissy.
He is Carol's brother.
| Gladys Marie Taylor McTheny |
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| U. S. Army, Ft. McClellen, Alabama 1961 |
Gladys Marie Taylor joined the Army out of
High School in 1961. She served at Ft. McClellen, Alabama and Ft. George G. Meade, Maryland.
She married a service man from West Virginia
that she met while in the service. She is the mother of one daughter and five
grandsons, the oldest serving in the U. S. Navy at this time.
She
is Carol's sister.
| Brian Lee Holcomb, U. S. Navy |
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Brian Lee Holcomb, United
States Navy. Brian is the son of Ruth McTheny Hamrick and the grandson of Marie Taylor McTheny, above.
He is serving at this time.
We are very proud of you Brian and may God Bless you and
keep you safe!
| PFC Frank William Brewer |
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| U.S. Marine Corps |
Pfc Frank William Brewer has completed bootcamp at the Camp Pendleton, CA
recruit training station November 22, 2006. He got the promotion to Pfc at the completion of his training. We
are very proud of him!
He is the son of Norma Taylor Tarajkowski and the nephew of Carol Taylor Lanza.
| Travis Foster, U.S. Marine Corps |
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Yes, another Marine!!
Travis Foster, United States Marine Corps, our new nephew,
my niece's husband. Welcome to the family Travis and may God Bless you and keep you!
As of September 2004 Travis has completed his duty in Iraq
and is safe at home with his beautiful bride!! He has as of June 2005, reenlisted in the Marine Corps. As of September
2005 Travis and his beautiful bride as the proud parents of a son, Ayden Taylor Foster. (Wonder where the "Taylor" name
came from??)
We are so thankful for his safe keeping by the Lord and for his safe return home to American soil!!
From all the family, we "Thank You" for serving your country
well and we wish you a future full of peace and joy!
Pvt. David Glen Lanza Jr., U. S. Marine Corps,
Parris Island, South Carolina, 1999. He did his bootcamp at Parris Island, SC from October 1998 to January 1999, and
his combat training at Camp Giger, near Camp Lejune, North Carolina. Received a meritorous promotion to PFC at the completion
of bootcamp.
He received his training as a cook at Ft. Lee,
Virginia and was sent to Okinawa, Japan in 1999 to 2000. He was promoted to Lance Cpl. while in Okinawa, Japan.
He was then stationed at Cherry Point, North
Carolina.
He was discharged in 2002 after serving for 4
years. David is the oldest son of David Sr. and Carol Taylor Lanza.
| Sgt. William Harold Sims |
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| U. S. Army, WWII, Killed in action, France |
Staff Sgt. William Harold Sims, U.S. Army,
World War II. He served in the 101st Airborn Division, 401st Glider Infantry Regiment.
He was shot down a few days after the
Invasion of Normany in 1944.
His body was never found, according to
family records.
There is a tombstone for him in the North
Salem Lutheran Cemetery, Sycamore, Ohio. The same cemetery where his
parents are buried, William Alexander Sims and Harriet Gantz Sims. He never
married.
There
is a photo of his tombstone on the Tombstone site.
He went by "Harold".
He was the first cousin of Thelma Horner
Taylor.
| Newton Gilbert Sims, 9th WV Infantry, Civil War |
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Newton Gilbert Sims, U. S. Army, Company B,
9th West Virginia Infantry, Civil War, the Union Army.
Newton enlisted at the age of 16 (told them
he was 18) November 6, 1861 at the beginning of the War of the Rebellion.
He was slightly wounded during his tour
of duty in which he collected a Civil War pension of $8 a month! (he shot
his own finger)
He didn't get out of the Army until the
end of the war in 1865.
He was born March 7, 1845 in Jane Lew,
Lewis County, West Virginia, son of John W. Sims and Elizabeth Romine. He
was born March 7, 1845 in Jane Lew, Lewis County, West Virginia, son of John W. Sims and Elizabeth Romine.
Newton was married three times, 1st
to Margaret Jane Hall, married during the war and they had one daughter, Mary Susan Sims.
His 2nd marriage was to our gr-grandmother,
Ruth Elizabeth Jane White in 1881, in which there were two children born, William Alexander and Bernice Eliza Sims.
Ruth's father, Alexander White,
was killed in Winchester, VA in 1861 while fighting for the Union in the Civil War. She was only 5 years old.
Newton's 3rd marriage was to Arizona
Schoolcraft, in 1903. There were two more children to this union, Freddie Gilbert and Icy Lurinia Sims.
He died November 30, 1919 in Orma, Calhoun
Co., WV and is buried in Carpenter Cemetery, Orma, WV.
He is the grandfather of our mother Thelma
Horner Taylor and is our gr-grandfather. He died the year she was born.
See photo of him and his second family
on my Family Photo site, Sims Photo page. I hope someday to find a photo
of him in his uniform.
Leroy Sims, U. S. Army. Leroy is the
son of Freddie Gilbert Sims and Stella Pritt in West Virginia. He was born about 1927.
Not much is known about Leroy.
His photo was shared with me by relatives.
Leroy's grandfather was Newton Gilbert Sims,
Civil War Soldier. He was from Newton's third marriage.
| Ellis Marian Horner, U.S. Army World War II |
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Ellis Marian Horner, U. S. Army, World War
II. We don't know much about Ellis' military history, only that he served during WWII.
Ellis is the father of two children, Ellis
and Phyllis Horner and the grandfather of 4.
Ellis is an uncle of Carol, and the youngest
brother of Thelma Horner Taylor.
| Widow of Alexander White, Civil War Soldier |
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Widow of Alexander White, killed in battle
of Winchester, VA, Civil War.
I don't have a photo of Alexander or
of his tombstone because he is buried on the battlefield near Winchester, VA. Winchester
being a "southern" city, his company had to retreat fast after loosing the battle. The next month, after his death,
his company was in Gettysburg, PA for the battle there.
He "mustered" into the U. S. Union Army,
Company B, 12th West Virginia Infantry, August 20, 1862. He had been a farmer, born in Ohio County, WV and lived in
Marshall County, WV with his wife Eliza Miller White and four young children, Margaret Ellen White (Cain),
Benjamin Franklin White, William Morgan White and our gr-grandmother, Ruth Elizabeth Jane White (Sims).
June 14, 1863 he was wounded by a shell in
his right leg during battle and died June 18, 1863 after amputation of
that leg.
He is our gr-gr-grandfather.
| Thomas Harold McKuhn |
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| U.S. Army, over 30 years |
Thomas Harold McKuhn, U.S. Army. Tommy served
in the U.S. Army from about 1957 until he retired after more than 30 years. I will get more information soon and post
it.
Tommy is Carol's 1st cousin, son of Emaline Taylor
McKuhn and Raymond McKuhn.
| Kevin Duzy and wife Bridget |
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| U.S. Marine Corps |
Kevin Duzy, U.S. Marine Corps. He did his bootcamp at
the Marine Recruit station a Camp Pendleton, CA. He served as a flight crash and rescue at Yuma, Arizona Marine
Base. He is now a Fireman. More information needed. He is the son-in-law of Norma Taylor-Tarajkowski, married
to her daughter Bridget.
| Carol M. Taylor, U.S. Army Bootcamp |
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| 1977 Ft. Jackson, South Carolina |
Carol M. Taylor, U.S. Army National Guard serving from
June 28, 1976 to June 28, 1979. Taken at Bootcamp, Ft. Jackson, South Carolina in June of 1977. Served at Ft.
Indiantown Gap, PA in July & Aug of 1977 after completing bootcamp and AIT training at Ft. Jackson.
In summer of 1978 Carol's detachment and the
Headquarters Company, traveled to Camp A.P. Hill, Virginia by convoy, a total of about 2300 men and 23 women.
Carol was trained as a Personnel Records Specialist
and served in with Detachment 2, 28th Adjutant General Company, Headquarters Co., 2d Brigade, 28th Infantry Division, PA National
Guard, Goodridge Armory, Washington, PA. While serving she was on the staff of the monthly newspaper, The Sentinel,
a newspaper for the Company and did the typing, printing and the art work for The Sentinel.
She was promoted to Specialist 4th class August
4, 1978.
She also received training as a recruiter and
served as a recruiter for the National Guard for 1 year. She recruited several women for her Detachment while serving.
When her tour of duty was done, she was discharged
and she got married and has two sons, David Jr. and Joseph Lanza.
Carol is the webmaster of this site.
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