Donald Edwin Humphrey
Born: July 21, 1911 Michigan
Died: December, 1971
Buried: Riverside Cemetary, Albion, MI
Wife:
Donna (Kimmer) Humphrey
Children:
David Michael Humphrey
Douglas Edwin Humphrey
Parents:
Philip Edwin Humphrey
Annie Lottie Forder Searl Humphrey
Siblings:
Eva Louise Humphrey
Wallace "Wally" J. Humphrey
Margretta (Humphrey) Marsh
Occupation:
Co-owned Irwin's Pie Shop, a bakery
Jackson, MI
Notes:
(Shawn Humphrey's notes)
Donald Humphrey was born in Albion and lived most of his life in Albion and Jackson Michigan. The 1920 census indicates he lived at 205 West Ash, Albion MI, Calhoun County. He attended Albion College for one semester, but lost his savings during the depression. During World War II, Don served with the 42nd Infantry, Rainbow Division. They arrived in Marseilles, France, December 9th, 1944. I have a map of their engagements in Europe.
According to the map titled the "Trail of the Rainbow", the "Mission of the Rainbow" was to capture its objectives with a minimum cost in casualties. They traveled north along the Rhone River to Lyon, Dijon, and Strassboug. North of Strassbourg, they encountered shelling in Hagenau. At Hatten, the Rainbow is credited for stopping the "last great German offensive". The 1st Battalion 242 Regiment received a Presidential citation for its actions there. From Hagenau and Hatten, they seem to have crossed back into France over the Vosges Mountains into Vic-Sur-Seille and La Petite Pierre. They received a 3 day pass in Paris, which may be where the picture of Donald at the cafe comes from.
They crossed the Hardt Mountains, were the first division to cross the Siegfried Line and entered Dahn, a battle which proved to be a "complete German debacle". They entered Worms and Wurzburg, crossing the Main river 4 times. At Schweinfurt, the "center of the German ball bearing industry", they appeared to have encountered resistance. They continued on to Neustadt, Furth, Donauworth, Rain, and were the first division to enter Munich. They liberated Dachau. They arrived at Palling where the war ended on May 8th, 1945. Don was there at the war's end, according to his own notes on the map. The division occuppied Austria for some time, specifically Kitzbuhel, Austria.
Don came home and co-owned Irwin's Pie Shop in Jackson with Harry Hoaglin. The two worked many long hours to maintain the shop, Dad tells me. He was an avid fisherman and loved to grill in the backyard on his homemade brick grill. The Humphrey's vacationed on Duck Lake during summers. Dad pointed out several houses they stayed at; the Shuemaker house, a blue house right on the lake, a green house and a white house on North Shore Drive. A friend of theirs, Don Pickens, was apparently bit by a snake behind the green house. A local store, Bunks still stands, but is vacant.
Don and Donna spent time with a number of neighborhood and college friends; Willard and Irene Snyder, Don and Gerry Pickens, Lucille and Phil Carrier, Russ and Esther Cartwright, and Alice and Dwayne Gutekunst, their neighbors. All except Irene Snyder have passed on as of this writing. Don and Donna have a plot next to the Snyder's plot; Dad jokes that they wanted to be able to play cards together in the afterlife.