LONGWITH, SGT. JAMES LESLIE [July 8, 1915 - 1945]
Sgt. James L. Longwith Dies at Topeka, Kansas
    Sgt. James L. Longwith, 30, son of Albert C. Longwith, died at Winter General Hospital at Topeka, Kans., last Thursday morning following an illness of nearly four years. Sgt. Longwith had been a patient at the hospital since Dec. 20 of last year.
    James Leslie Longwith, son of Albert C. and Gertrude Furr Longwith, was born in Schuyler where he was graduated from the high school in 1933. For a time, he operated the service station on Highway 30 now operted by G. A. Schmidt. Later on he went to California where he worked on a fruit farm. He was employed as a service station attendant at Oakland, Calif., prior to enlisting in the air corps at Oakland July 12, 1941.
    Sgt. Longwith submitted to major surgery at Fort Douglas, Salt Lake City, Utah, Oct. 2, 1941. He was released from the hospital in December. The following July, he entered the station hospital at March Field, Calif. He was later hospitalized at Hoff General Hospital at Santa Barbara, Calif., and then at William Beaumont hospital at El Paso, Texas. A year and a half later, he was taken to the station hospital at the Lincoln Air Base where he was a patient [for] four months. He had been a patient at the Winter General Hospital in Topeka since last December. During his hospitalization, Sgt. Longwith submitted to 20 operations, the majority of which were major.
    Sgt. Longwith's last visit home was in September, 1941, when he was granted a furlough because of the serious illness of his mother.
    Sgt. Longwith and Miss Vada Holloway of Salt Lake City, Utah, were married at Evanston, Wyo., May 12, 1942. They resided at Salt Lake City a month after their marriage. The next month, June, Sgt. Longwith was stationed at Geiger Field, Calif., and later at Muroc Lake, Calif., prior to entering the station hospital at March Field.
    The widow, the father and the following brothers and sisters survive: Chester or Buffalo, N.Y., Fred who is in the maritime service, Jack and Richard, both at home, Bertrice, Mrs. Wayne Hiner and Evelyn, Mrs. Harold Legler, both of Schuyler.
    Sgt. Longwith's mother died Nov. 8, 1941.
    Mrs. Longwith arrived Friday forenoon from Topeka. The remains, accompanied by Sgt. Ernest M. Taylor of Clifford, N. D., a member of the medical detachment at Winter General Hospital, arrived Friday evening and were escorted to the Bideaux mortuary by an honor guard of Legionnaires.
    Funeral services, with full military hones, were held at the Bideaux chapel Sunday afternoon at 2:30, Rev. Henry Horthich, pastor at St. John's Lutheran church, officiating. The Misses Esther Wilhelm and Nadine and Inez Linenburg sang "Nearer My God to Thee" and "Jesus Son of Mary, Hear." Mrs. Henry Monnich was piano accompanist.
    Burial was made in the Schuyler cemetery. His was the first burial of a World War II veteran in the Schuyler cemetery.
[Schuyler Sun - submitted by Tami Longwith]