Oswald, William James (1923-1942)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1942 Aug 27 p. 1

Birth date: 1923 Jun 9

TRAGEDY AT YOUNGSTOWN OHIO RESULTS IN DEATH OF YOUNG ICE CO. EMPLOYEE

Sugar Creek, Ohio, Aug. 20. — Funeral services were held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Midway Mennonite Church for William James Oswald, aged 19, of North Lima, who died in St. Elizabeth's Hospital, at Youngstown, Thursday afternoon, a half hour after he was attacked by two men following an auto accident.

The youth was born in Burghill, Trumball [sic Trumbull] County, June 9, 1923, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter E. Oswald. He was a member of the Mennonite Church and was employed by the Youngstown Ice Co.

Mr. Oswald had graduated from North Lima High School, class of 1941, and attended Goshen College last year. His father is a teacher at Princeton Junior High School, at Youngstown.

Both Oswald and his assailant were in the store. Oswald left the store first, and in backing away from the curb struck the fender of the other's car.

As Oswald was driving away, the man jumped on the running board of Oswald's car and rode to the gate of the ice company, where he started a fight despite Oswald's offer to pay any damages to his car, and then picked up a three-foot piece of lumber with which he struck Oswald and a companion, L. M. Basinger. — Sugar Creek Budget.