William Earl Hawkins [1896-1965]

  William Earl Hawkins was born in Kansas City, Wyandotte County, Kansas, 10 April 1896, son of William Franklin Hawkins and Mary Belle Hagan, died at the Cape Fear Valley Hospital in Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina, 25 November 1965 while visiting his daughter, and was buried in the Jerome Cemetery, Appanoose County, Iowa, after funeral services at the Miller-Wehrle Funeral Home in Centerville with the Rev. George Sheils, pastor of the First Methodist church, officiating.

  He married in Centerville, Appanoose County, Iowa, 8 September 1923, Lora Geneva Patrick, who was born in Unionville, Appanoose County, Iowa, 6 November 1896, daughter of Ira Melzine Patrick and Jennie Iantha Hunt, died in Centerville, Appanoose County, Iowa, 28 February 1979, and was buried in the Jerome Cemetery, Appanoose County, Iowa.
  Four children were born to this marriage:  (1) Phyllis Carolyn Hawkins, (2) Betty Jane Hawkins, (3) Mary Margaret Hawkins and (4) William Richard Hawkins.  All four children are living. 

  William enlisted in the army 27 May 1918 at Centerville, Iowa, was assigned as a Private to the 163rd Depot Brigade at Camp Dodge, Iowa, from date of enlistment to 14 June 1918, then served in Battery F of the 337th Field Artillery Battalion, 88th Infantry Division, until his discharge on 5 February 1919 at Camp Dodge, Iowa.  When he enlisted he was 22 years of age and a teamster by occupation, had brown eyes, black hair, dark complexion and was 5 feet 8 1/2 inches in height.

  At left is the 337th Field Artillery Insignia. The shield is red for Artillery. The fracted bend indicates that the organization was broken up several times before it eventually went overseas during World War I, which service is symbolized by the fleur-de-lis. The qua-trefoil represents the shoulder sleeve insignia of the 88th Division.