Army Nurses Corps

Marian June (Swope) Winton, World War Two Veteran

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Marian June Swope was born on 4 March 1920, in Marion, Ohio. Her parents are Albert E. & Goldie O. (Cotner) Swope. Marian J. Swope attended Marion City Schools and was a 1938 graduate of Harding High School. Ms. Swope would become a nurse in the U. S. Army nurses Corps. during World War Two. She would serve in England and France. She was a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army. She also had a sister who served in the United States Navy, in World War Two, Ruth E. Swope.

Swope on the Harding Harald Staff, 1938

In 1943, while serving in a field hospital in England, she would become the nurse for Colonel Walter F. Winton Jr. Colonel Winton was a paratrooper recently returning from the invasion of Sicily. When the Colonel’s brother, Tyler Winton came to the hospital to visit him, June and Tyler were introduced. They stayed in contact with each other as the war progressed. As the war moved into France, they two would become closer and plan to marry. They planned for a marriage, in a field hospital in Rheims, for 22 December 1944. But they had to postpone the marriage ceremony, as an air raid by the Germans had foiled the plans for the day. Not to be denied their planned wedding, they were married the next day. June would wear a silk wedding dress. The silk was provided by a friend of Tyler’s, the silk was from a parachute. One of June’s fellow nurses was able to sew the silk into a dress for her wedding gown.
After returning from the war, the couple would move along the southern border, where Tyler was employed with the Border Patrol. When he retired in 1973, they would settle in Destin, Florida.
June and Tyler raised a son, Michael, and daughter Rand, together. June would continue after the war as a nurse. She was well known as a compassionate pediatric nurse. In fact she was known as the “Smurf Nurse,” due to the gifts she gave the children.
Her husband, Tyler would die in 1996, and Marian “June” (Swope) Winton would die on 28 June 2007, in Destin, Florida. Marian J. Swope is listed on the World War Two Memorial Wall, in Marion, Ohio, to remember her service to her country.

Lt. Geneva Imbody – World War Two Veteran

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Geneva (Imbody) Whittridge was born on 31 August 1914. Her parents are William A. & Lydia S. (Schwaderer) Imbody of New Bloomington, Ohio. She was a graduate of Agosta High School, Class of 1932. She would marry Burdell Whittridge, on 23 July 1949, in Green Camp, Ohio.
Geneva graduated from Grant Hospital Training School for Nurses, in 1937. She would attend graduate school at University of Chicago, Illinois and graduate in 1941. She then would work as Supervisor of Surgery, at Grant Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.
In February of 1941, Geneva (Imbody) would enter service with the United States Army, Army Nurses Corps (ANC). She would attend training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Later in 1941 she would be sent overseas to serve as a Second Lieutenant.

Lt. Geneva (Imbody) would serve for five years with the ANC. She would see service in Africa, Sicily and Italy (Anzio Beach). Lt. Imbody served with the 15th Evacuation Hospital, 5th Army. Among her awards she was awarded six Campaign Stars and the Presidential Unit Citation. Lt. Imbody was honorably discharged in May of 1946.
While serving in Italy, Lt. Imbody would get a chance to be reunited with her brother, Sgt. William D. Imbody. The Marion Star would report on the meeting of the siblings.
After military service, Geneva (Imbody) Whittridge would work for 53 years as a nurse. She worked for Dr. Frank Murphy; worked at Crile General Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio; and worked in nursing homes in Marion, Upper Sandusky and Kenton, Ohio.
Geneva (Imbody) Whittridge died 25 September 1998, and is buried in the Marion Cemetery.
Geneva (Imbody) Whittridge is remembered on the World War Two Memorial Wall at the Marion Cemetery.

2nd Lt. Ethel D. (Klinke) Ledley – World War Two Veteran

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Ethel Dolores (Klinke) Ledley was born 23 August 1916, in New York. Ethel went to nursing school in Schenectady, New York. She would join the Army Nurse Corps (ANC) in 1944. While serving in South Carolina, she would meet her husband Damon Ledley. Damon was also serving in the Army and was from Prospect, Ohio. 2nd Lieutenant Ethel Klinke would serve with the 21st General Hospital. She would serve in North Africa, England, and France.
After the military Ethel would settle in Marion, Ohio with her husband and raise their family. They had two children, Michael and Pam. Ethel worked at Whirlpool Corporation as a nurse.
Ethel D. (Klinke) Ledley is not recognized for her service on any memorial in Marion, Ohio. Women service members are recognized as a group on the Women’s Memorial at the Veterans Memorial Park in Marion, Ohio. But we recognize and remembered her service to her country during World War Two here.

Molly McMahon World War One Nurse

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Mary “Molly” Imelda McMahon, Marion, Ohio’s only female on the Honor Rolls. Mary was born on 29 November 1881. Her parents are John & Bridget (Halloran) McMahon, of Ironton, Ohio. She graduated from nursing in 1908. She was a nurse in Ironton and Fort Wayne, Indiana prior to coming to Marion. Mary worked at the Sawyer Sanatorium for 12 years. She worked in the mental department at the White Oaks farm.

Mary “Molly” McMahon was a Marion resident when she became a member of the Army Nurse Corps. Mary saw service at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia prior to being assigned to Camp Jackson, South Carolina. She was later assigned to care for soldiers suffering with the Spanish Influenza at Camp Jackson. It was there that she contracted the flu and died shortly thereafter. In the news article we can see that she was highly regarded in Marion. She was an active member of St. Mary Catholic Church, Marion, Ohio.

Mary McMahon died on 4 October 1918 in Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina and was later buried Sacred Heart Cemetery Ironton, Lawrence County, Ohio.

She is the only woman listed on the Honor Rolls of Marion County Veterans. She is listed on the WWI Honor Rolls at the Marion Veterans Memorial Park and also the Honor Roll on the second floor of the Marion County Court House.

From the Marion Daily Star October 5, 1918

ANOTHER HEROINE AMONG
VICTIMS OF INFLUENZA

Mary McMahon Dies at Camp
Jackson, South Carolina.

FORMERLY EMPLOYED IN
MARION AS A NURSE

Body Will Be Taken to Ironton
for Burial – Marion Friends
Are Shocked.

Miss Mary McMahon, a former nurse at the Sawyer sanatorium, has paid the supreme sacrifice, giving up her life yesterday, while in the service of her country. She died at 2 p.m. at Camp Jackson, South Carolina, of pneumonia as a consequence of Spanish Influenza, contracted while caring for the soldier boys who have fallen victims to the epidemic.
The news of Miss McMahon’s untimely death came as a shock to her many friends here, as she was very well liked and a most commendable young woman. She was an efficient nurse and regarded very highly by the management of the Sawyer sanatorium and citizens with whom she became acquainted during the time she did private nursing here during her senior year in training school as well as by a wide circle of admiring friends.
Comes from Ironton.
Miss McMahon was about thirty-four years of age and came here from Ironton in 1905 to enter the training school for nurses at the Sawyer sanatorium. She graduated from there in 1908, after which she followed private nursing for four years in Ironton and Ft. Wayne, and then returned to the sanatorium to take up special work in the mental department. She continued in this special work at the sanatorium until the last week in August, when she returned to her home at Ironton for a three-weeks rest, having volunteered her services to the government. After being at home several weeks she was called to Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia, for one week and then ordered to Camp Jackson, where she died about three days after her arrival.
Surviving Relatives.
Miss McMahon was a communicant of St. Mary’s Catholic church. She is survived by her parents, who reside at Ironton; two sisters and one brother at home and one brother in service in France.
The remains will be taken to Ironton for burial. Miss Myrtle Harris, superintendent of nurses, and Miss Mayme Moloney, auditor at the sanatorium, will represent that institution at the funeral.

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