LLoyd George Mallette - 21 Jun 1941 - 4 Apr 1961

LGM was my mother’s father. She never knew him or had any information about him other than the information that appeared on her birth certificate. My grandmother, Viola Louise Mays Mallette Timm (VLMMT), refused to talk about him, even to me, and all my mother new is that they divorced. He never remarried.  At the time of the divorce, there were two children, Barbara Jean Mallette Weigandt (BJMW), my mom; and, her brother George. I have done some research on LGM and have found the following:

--He was born in Bonners Ferry, Idaho (today known as Bonner).  He had a least one sister (I think she moved to live with other  relatives in Washington, possibly a maternal grandparent). Census shows one child in household aprox 1 year older than him and there may have been one more born after him.  His parents, John Paul Mallette and Margaret Rose Blish Mallette divorced or his mother died. I’ve found census records that listed his father as widow and as divorced. I have seen more references towards divorced. His father moved to California and remarried to a divorcee with a daughter, LGM moved with him. LGM had siblings but the only children census records reflect are him and his step sister living with his father and step mother. His father moved from Michigan where he was born to Idaho to work in the lumber industry…one of the largest in the US at the turn of the last century. Logging became the major industry over gold mining.  It is assumed he meet LGM’s mother after moving to Idaho since records for Michigan show him as being single.  LGM’s mother was born in either Washington or Wisconsin. LGM’s birth certificate lists his mother’s birth place as Wisconsin and his death certificate lists her birth place as Washington. They also spell her first name differently. The area was harsh in winters and violent crime rampant between competing lumber companies. Lumber camp houses were small and roughly put together. Life pre-WWI in Bonner Ferry was inhospitable at times in log camps, and not a place one would think to raise children.

--LGM is buried in Golden Gate National Cemetery, plot 2944, 7 Apr 1961, San Bruno, San Mateo County, California. Veterans records list him as divorced, no dependents, two children. At the time of his death his occupation was listed as cabinet maker, manufacturer, Pacific Woodworking Co.

--He enlisted into the Army Air Force 12 Dec 1941 and his service number was 19013836. His civilian occupation at the time of his enlistment was listed as gas man with 3 years high school.

--He was at Gulfport Field, Mississippi, during his enlistment, exact dates at the moment are unknown. His records just reflect that he was there. Gulfport Army Airfield opened 7 Jul 1942. It conducted technical training and basic training until its transfer to 3d Air Force 31 Mar 1944. At that time it was jointly used by Keesler Army Base. Under 2d Air Force it conducted replacement training for heavy bomber (B-17/B-24) units in addition to B-29 aircrew transition training.  It is assumed while assigned to Gulfport Field is when he met my grandmother since she was born in Gulfport and that is where my mother was born also.

--When he separated, he was a Sergeant with the 450^th AAFBU (Army Air Force Base Unit), Hammer Field, Fresno, California. The 450^th was a combat crew training station-night fighter). It is not known at this time exactly what he did within the 450^th.

--Cause of death was heart related – no, they didn’t have Lipitor back then and ate food cooked in lard. Food tasted so good cooked in lard but we now know it is not all that good for us.

When did my grandparents divorce? I have not been able to determine that as of this date. I hope to determine when she married her second husband Leroy Timm who was an officer in the Navy.  He told me he was a pilot, but I do not remember what airframe he flew. The ones above were not associated with the Navy, that I’m not aware of anyway.. I am wondering if they divorced in California since I cannot find records to the such in Mississippi.  My grandmother’s baby sister once told me, while visiting her in San Antonio in the early 80s, that my grandmother divorced my grandfather who she felt would not amount to much because of his education and being enlisted for an officer who had a higher income and more prestige. When my grandmother did remarry she sent my mom and her brother to live with my great grandparents for awhile in Gulfport.  There are still a lot of clues to research out and this is what I’ve found so far.