Sullens, Herman Elmer

1915 - 2007  (92 years)

• Name	Sullens, Herman Elmer
  Birth	27 Feb 1915	Clay City, Clay County, Illinois   [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  Gender	Male
  Census		1940 Census, Clay City Township, Clay County, Illinois, page 13a 1940 United States Federal Census, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois, (District 13-4) (Township), image 25, page 13a 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	Truck Driver, Night Watchman, Farmer  [1]
  Reference Number	SULL.H001
  _FGRAVE	23444595
  Death	8 Dec 2007	Clay County Hospital, Flora, Clay County, Illinois   [1, 2, 3]
  	Herman Elmer Sullens, age 92, of Clay City, died at 8:05 p.m., Saturday, December 8, 2007, at Clay County Hospital. He was born February 27, 1915, in Clay City, the son of John and Sophia (Cailteux) Sullens. He married Evelyn Bricker on September 25, 1937. She preceded him in death on January 29, 2006. He owned a trucking business and hauled the Clay City basketball team to Ingraham in 1936 for $2.70. He hauled eggs and wire to the Clay City store and once pulled a bread truck out of the mud for fifty cents. He was also night watchman at the Big Four plant until he started a painting company painting oil field tanks until he retired. Several of his grandchildren helped him in that business. He was a World War II veteran and was reported missing in action for several days. He received the European-African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, WWII Medal, three Bronze Stars, two Overseas Service Bars, Good Conduct Medal, and Victory Medal. He was discharged from the service and rode a greyhound bus to Clay City and had to walk to his home with his duffle bag on his back--very thankful to be home safe. He always gave God the praise for keeping him safe. He started a one-man band in 1968 and enjoyed going to nursing homes and playing his music. He was a family man who looked forward to each new day, and enjoyed working in his garden with his fruit trees. He was a member of the Clay City Community Baptist Church. Survivors include two daughters and sons-in-law, Norma and Delbert Payne of Sailor Springs, and Betty and Ira Simmons of Clay City; three sons and daughters-in-law, Donald and Shirley Sullens of Lakeview, Florida, Tom and Myrna Sullens of Carthage, Texas, and David and Cathy Sullens of Kilgore, Texas; 17 grandchildren, Dean Payne of Sumner, Linda Norris of Sailor Springs, Albert Payne of Sailor Springs, Brenda Lynn of Clay City, Donna Stanley of Clay City, Wendell Simmons of Clay City, Diane Gill of Clay City, Steve Sullens of Florida, Rusty Sullens of Florida, Barbara Brance of Indiana, Rebecca Brown of Florida, John Sullens of Texas, Keith Sullens of Texas, Christiana Pritchett of Texas, James Sullens of Clay City, Dawn Epps of Texas, and Michael Sullens of Texas; one cousin, Leone Taylor, one sister-in-law, Lois of California; 37 great-grandchildren, four great-great-grandchildren, one niece, and two nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, one son, John, one sister Geneva, and two brothers, John and Merlin. Funeral services were held today (Tuesday, December 11) at Summers-Kistler Funeral Home in Clay City with Brother Jimmy Thomas officiating. Burial, with full military honors performed by the Clay City veterans organizations, was in the Clay City Cemetery.
  Funeral	11 Dec 2007	Summers-Kistler Funeral Home, Flora, Clay County, Illinois   [1]
  Military Service	World War II, Sergeant, Company F, 115th Infantry Regiment, 29th ‘Blue and Gray’ Infantry Division, United States Army  [2, 7]
  	Entered active service as a draftee on January 26, 1944 at Fort Sheridan, Illinois. Selected for the Infantry, completed basic training, and qualified in the military occupational specialty of Rifleman (MOS 745). Departed the Continental U.S. on August 17, 1944 bound for the European Theater of Operations. Assigned to and fought with Company F, 115th Infantry Regiment, 29th 'Blue And Gray' Infantry Division, in the Northern France, Rhineland, and Central Europe Campaigns. Reported missing in action for several days, but returned to his unit. Honorably discharged as a Sergeant on October 21, 1945 at the Separation Center, Fort Sheridan. Earned the Good Conduct Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 3 bronze battle stars, and the WWII Victory Medal. 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=2279046
  		Newspaper clipping, Herman Sullens, World War II
  		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…
  		Herman Elmer Sullens (1915-2007)
  		United States Army
  		Herman Elmer Sullens (1915 - 2007)
  		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, Herman Elmer Sullens (1915-2007) Contributed by Carl Wayne Gray
  		Good Conduct Medal, United States Army
  		Good Conduct Medal, United States Armed Forces
  		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
  		European Theater of World War II
  		29th Infantry Division ("Blue and Gray"), United States Army
  		29th Infantry Division ("Blue and Gray"), United States Army
  		115th Infantry Regiment, United States Army
  		World War II Honoree, Sullens, Herman Elmer (1915-2007)
  		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. …
  		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 23 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	11 Dec 2007	Clay City Cemetery, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois   [1, 2, 3]
  	Lot 7 - 2 Add - Row 10
  		Headstone, Sullens, Evelyn and Herman
  		Headstone, Sullens, H. E.
  Person ID	I2410	Carl Wayne Gray Research | Bricker - Shock Conrad Bricker and Lucinda Shock Descendants, Sullens - Dunagan John Benjamin Sullens and Mary Jane 'Polly' Dunagan Descendants
  Last Modified	10 Jun 2023

  
  

  Father	Sullens, John Roland,   b. 25 Jun 1895, Illinois d. 7 Nov 1941, Stanford Township, Clay County, Illinois (Age 46 years)
  Mother	Cailteux, Sophie Caroline,   b. 21 Dec 1897, Clifton, Iroquois County, Illinois d. 8 Mar 2005, Flora Healthcare Center, Flora, Clay County, Illinois (Age 107 years)
  Marriage	23 Aug 1914	Sailor Springs, Clay County, Illinois   [8, 9, 10, 11]
  Age at Marriage	He : 19 years and 2 months - She : 16 years and 8 months.
  Family ID	F1736	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Bricker, Evelyn Gladys,   b. 14 Oct 1919, Clay County, Illinois d. 29 Dec 2006, Richland County Memorial Hospital, Olney, Richland County, Illinois (Age 87 years)
  Marriage	Y  [4, 6]
  Children	+ 1. Living + 2. Sullens, Betty Jean,   b. 29 May 1940   d. 27 Jan 2026, Deaconess Gateway Hospital, Newburgh, Warrick County, Indiana (Age 85 years)   3. Sullens, John Robert,   b. 26 Jul 1942   d. 2 Nov 1968 (Age 26 years) + 4. Living + 5. Living + 6. Living
  Family ID	F804	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 27 Feb 1915 - Clay City, Clay County, Illinois Death - 8 Dec 2007 - Clay County Hospital, Flora, Clay County, Illinois Funeral - 11 Dec 2007 - Summers-Kistler Funeral Home, Flora, Clay County, Illinois Burial - 11 Dec 2007 - Clay City Cemetery, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Photos		Herman Elmer Sullens (1915-2007) One Man Band Contributed by Doris (Mayo) Bissey
  		Evelyn and Herman Sullens Displayed with permission of Lady in Black

  
  

  Documents

  Double Funeral Yesterday For Mother and Daughter, Car-Tractor Accident Victims.

  
  

• Sources

  [S1582] http://www.findagrave.com, Obituary, Sullens, Herman Elmer, 92, (http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSsr=2281&GScid=105163&GRid=23444595&), none. (Reliability: 2). [S1583] https://www.findagrave.com, Headstone, Sullens, H. E., (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23444595/herman-elmer-sullens), none. (Reliability: 2). [S837] https://www.findagrave.com, Headstone, Sullens, Evelyn and Herman, (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18083481/evelyn-gladys-sullens), none. (Reliability: 2). [S171] Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census, Clay City, Illinois, (District 13-4) (Township), image 25, page 13a, (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/2442/M-T0627-00769-00087?backurl=https%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.as) (Reliability: 3). [S365] Ancestry.com, 1930; Census Place: Stanford Township (District 18), Clay County, Illinois, (http://www.ancestry.com), Page 9a, none. (Reliability: 2). [S15274] 1950 United States Federal Census, Clay City, Illinois, District 13-3, Sheet 15 (Reliability: 3). [S14729] World War II Honoree, Herman Elmer Sullens, (https://wwiiregistry.abmc.gov/honoree-plaque/?honoree_id=2279046) (Reliability: 2). [S1370] http://www.findagrave.com, Obituary, Wilfong, Forest Earl, (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/26914567/forest-earl-wilfong), none. (Reliability: 2). [S2971] http://www.findagrave.com, Obituary, Wilfong, Sophia Caroline, 107, (http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Cailteux&GSiman=1&GScid=105163&GRid=18083532&), none. (Reliability: 2). [S2969] https://www.findagrave.com, Headstone, Sullens, Sophia C. and John R., (hhttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24145903/john-roland-sullens), none. (Reliability: 2). [S2970] Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census, Stanford Township, Clay County, Illinois, (District 13-20), image 05, page 2b, (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/2442/M-T0627-00769-00480?backurl=https%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.as) (Reliability: 2).