Wilson, Joseph Warren 'Joe'

1907 - 1993  (86 years)

• Name	Wilson, Joseph Warren 'Joe'
  		Joseph Warren 'Joe' Wilson (1907-1993)
  		Grandpa Charlie and guys Contributed by Leona Mae McDowell
  		Wayne and Martha Gray, Joe Wilson From the Edna Bernice (McDowell) Wilson (1918-2004) collection. Contributed by Leona Mae McDowell
  		Joseph Warren 'Joe' Wilson holding Martha Lois Gray From the Edna Bernice (McDowell) Wilson (1918-2004) collection. Contributed by Leona Mae McDowell
  		Wayne and Martha Gray on Joe Wilson's lap From the Edna Bernice (McDowell) Wilson (1918-2004) collection. Contributed by Leona Mae McDowell
  		Joseph Warren Wilson (1907-1993) Contributed by Leona Mae McDowell
  Birth	20 Feb 1907	Wayne County, Illinois   [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Gender	Male
  Census		1940 Census, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois, page 07b 1940 United States Federal Census, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois, (District 13-3) (Village), image 15, page 07b The writing in the 1940 Federal census for Clay City, Illinois is sometimes difficult to read. Ancestry.com has attempted to index this census, but there are many transcription errors.
  		1950 United States Federal Census, Clay City, Illinois, District 13-3, Sheet 15 Clay City township: Clay City village: Clay City village - That part east of Rd. 5
  Occupation	Retired Pumper for Pure Oil Company  [3]
  Reference Number	WILS.J002
  _FGRAVE	18364145
  Death	7 Jul 1993	Clay City, Clay County, Illinois   [1, 2, 3]
  	Cause: Heart Attack
  	According to his wife, Edna, he died at Clay City while checking the mail. According to his obituary, he died at the Clay County Hospital.
  Funeral	10 Jul 1993	Clay City Methodist Church, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois   [3]
  Military Service	World War II, Sergeant, Company H, 141st Infantry Regiment, 36th ‘Texas' Infantry Division, United States Army  [6, 7]
  	Entered active service as a draftee on September 29, 1943 at Camp Grant, Illinois. Completed basic training, qualified in the military occupational specialty of Rifleman (745) and later as Machine Gun Non-Commissioned Officer (604). Departed the Continental U.S. on March 12, 1944 bound for the European Theater of Operations. Assigned to and fought with company H, 141st Infantry Regiment, 36th 'Texas' Infantry Division in the Rome-Arno, Southern France, Rhineland and Central Europe Campaigns. Wounded by enemy action on August 24, 1945 in vicinity of Crest, France. Earned the Purple Heart Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 4 bronze battle stars and bronze arrowhead (assault landing) and the WWII Victory Medal. Honorably discharged as a Sergeant on November 1, 1945 at the Separation Center, Fort Sheridan, Illinois. This information has been posted on the National World War II Memorial's Registry of Remembrances website by Robert Medley Gatewood. It is entered here with his permission. Source: https://wwiiregistry.abmc.gov/honoree-plaque/?honoree_id=2055847
  		Flag of the United States, 48 Stars (1912-1959) In 1912, two stars were added to the United States flag, representing Arizona and New Mexico, bringing the total number of stars to 48. They were arranged in six rows of eight stars each. American fighting men would fight under this flag during four wars: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the beginning of the Vietnam War. (In 1959, a…
  		Joseph Warren "Joe" Wilson (1907 - 1993) From the Dorothy Lois 'Dot' (McDowell) Bricker (1927-2004) collection Contributed by Carl Wayne Gray
  		United States Army
  		Sergeant, United States Army and United States Army Air Fores (Sep 1942-Aug 1948) NOTE: The three stripe Sergeant Insignia was not used during the Korean War
  		United States Army Enlisted Rank Insignia
  		Combat Infantryman Badge, United States Army
  		Combat Infantryman Badge, United States Army
  		Military Service Ribbons, Joseph Warren 'Joe' Wilson (1907-1993) Contributed by Carl Wayne Gray
  		Purple Heart Medal, United States Military
  		Purple Heart Medal, United States Military
  		Good Conduct Medal, United States Army
  		Good Conduct Medal, United States Armed Forces
  		American Campaign Medal, United States Armed Forces
  		American Campaign Medal, United States
  		European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, United States Armed Forces
  		European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, United States
  		World War II Victory Medal, United States Military
  		World War II Victory Medal, United States Military
  		World War II (1939-1945)
  		Fort Sheridan, Illinois
  		Camp Grant, Illinois
  		European Theater of World War II
  		36th Infantry Division ("Arrowhead"), United States Army Also known as the "Panther Division", "Lone Star Division", "The Texas Army", or the "T-patchers
  		36th Infantry Division ("Arrowhead"), United States Army
  		141st Infantry Regiment, United States Army
  		World War II Honoree, Wilson, Joseph W. (1907-1993)
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 01 of 26 pages On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. This…
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 02 of 26 pages On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. This…
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 03 of 26 pages On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. This…
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 25 of 26 pages On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. This…
  Burial	10 Jul 1993	Clay City Cemetery, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois   [2, 3, 8]
  	Plot: 1 Add. Blk. 23
  		Headstone, Wilson, Joe W. and Edna B.
  		Headstone, Wilson, Joseph W.
  Person ID	I343	Carl Wayne Gray Research | Bugg - Patterson Alfred C. Bugg and Elizabeth 'Lizzie' Patterson Descendants, Maglone - Landers James Maglone and Mary Landers Descendants, McDowell - Maglone John William 'Will' McDowell and Margaret Maglone Descendants
  Last Modified	10 Jun 2023

  
  

  Father	Wilson, Joseph Hooker,   b. 14 Aug 1865, Zif Township, Wayne County, Illinois d. 2 Nov 1946, Olney, Richland County, Illinois (Age 81 years)
  Mother	Bradshaw, Sarah Anna,   b. 23 May 1868, Mount Erie, Wayne County, Illinois d. 19 Mar 1936, Zif Township, Wayne County, Illinois (Age 67 years)
  Family ID	F382	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Rutger, Ollie Mae,   b. 1908   d. 1994 (Age 86 years)
  Marriage	24 Jun 1926
  Age at Marriage	He : 19 years and 4 months - She : ~ 18 years and 6 months.
  Children	1. Wilson, Leonard Warren,   b. 1927   d. 2008 (Age 81 years)   2. Wilson, Jacquelyn Joyce,   b. 12 Aug 1929, Zif, Wayne County, Illinois d. 10 Nov 2012, Olney, Richland County, Illinois (Age 83 years)
  Family ID	F18117	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	21 Oct 2026

  
  

  Family 2	McDowell, Edna Bernice,   b. 2 Nov 1918, Clay County, Illinois d. 11 Feb 2004, Richland County Memorial Hospital, Olney, Richland County, Illinois (Age 85 years)
  Marriage	22 Jun 1937	Fairfield, Wayne County, Illinois   [3, 4, 5, 9]
  Age at Marriage	He : 30 years and 4 months - She : 18 years and 7 months.
  Family ID	F96	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 20 Feb 1907 - Wayne County, Illinois Marriage - 22 Jun 1937 - Fairfield, Wayne County, Illinois Death - Cause: Heart Attack - 7 Jul 1993 - Clay City, Clay County, Illinois Funeral - 10 Jul 1993 - Clay City Methodist Church, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois Burial - 10 Jul 1993 - Clay City Cemetery, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		Edna Bernice (McDowell) and Joseph Warren 'Joe' Wilson Contributed by Carol Joyce (Higgason) Nix
  		Uncle Joe Wilson, holding Nella, Adrian, Dad in back row, Barb and Glenn in front Contributed by Leona Mae McDowell
  		Joseph Warren "Joe" Wilson, Clayson Adrian McDowell and kids From the Nella Grace (Luke) McDowell (1909-1998) collection Contributed by Carl Wayne Gray
  		Joe Wilson, Nella, Adrian, Clayson, Barb, and Glenn McDowell Contributed by Barbara Louise 'Barb' (McDowell) House (1935-2020)
  		Adrian McDowell, Joe Wilson, and Harley McDowell Contributed by Leona Mae McDowell
  		Clayson McDowell, Lynn Lanier, Grace McDowell, Oma Lanier, Edna and Joe Wilson Photo taken at Joe and Edna Wilson's, Clark Addition, Clay City, Illinois. Contributed by Barbara Louise 'Barb' (McDowell) House (1935-2020)
  		Carl Wayne and Martha Gray with Joe Wilson From the Dorothy Lois 'Dot' (McDowell) Bricker (1927-2004) collection Contributed by Carl Wayne Gray
  		Joe Wilson holding Martha Lois Gray on his lap From the Edna Bernice (McDowell) Wilson (1918-2004) collection. Contributed by Leona Mae McDowell
  		Carl Wayne and Martha Gray with Joe Wilson From the Dorothy Lois 'Dot' (McDowell) Bricker (1927-2004) collection Contributed by Carl Wayne Gray
  		Than McDowell and Joe Wilson, 7-17-74 at Mom's Contributed by Leona Mae McDowell

  
  

  Histories

  Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007 On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. …

  
  

• Notes

  Joe served in Europe with the U.S. Army during World War II, rising to the rank of Sergeant. He died of a heart attack in Clay City, Illinois, shortly after parking his truck to check on the mail. He was a retired pumper for Pure Oil Co., and a member of the Clay City Methodist Church.

  
  

• Sources

  [S163] Wilson, Edna, Wilson, Edna, Letter to Carl Wayne Gray (Reliability: 3). [S177] https://www.findagrave.com, Headstone, Wilson, Joe W. and Edna B., (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18364152/edna-bernice-wilson) (Reliability: 2). [S475] The Daily Clay County Advocate Press (Flora, Clay County, Illinois), Obituary, Wilson, Joseph W., 86, (The Daily Clay County Advocate Press (Flora, Clay County, Illinois), 08 July 1993), none. (Reliability: 2). [S15274] 1950 United States Federal Census, Clay City, Illinois, District 13-3, Sheet 15 (Reliability: 3). [S178] Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois, (District 13-3) (Village), image 15, page 7b, (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/2442/M-T0627-00769-00053?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.asp) (Reliability: 3). [S14718] World War II Honoree, Joseph W. Wilson, (https://wwiiregistry.abmc.gov/honoree-plaque/?honoree_id=2055847) (Reliability: 2). [S476] http://www.findagrave.com, Headstone, Wilson, Joseph W., (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18364145/joseph-w_-wilson) (Reliability: 2). [S15419] https://www.findagrave.com, Headstone, Wilson, Joseph W., (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18364145/joseph-warren-wilson) (Reliability: 2). [S176] The Daily Clay County Advocate Press (Flora, Clay County, Illinois), Obituary, Wilson, Edna, 85, (The Daily Clay County Advocate Press (Flora, Clay County, Illinois), 13 February 2004), none.