Herold James Weiler

b. 12 April 1886, d. 18 November 1945

Lt Col Herold James Weiler, 1886-1945
  • Herold James Weiler was born on 12 April 1886 in Illinois.
  • Johann Ludwig Weiler and Ellen Callahan appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1900 in Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas, at 417 West 9th Avenue. Other members of the household included Herold James Weiler, George Walter Weiler, Lewis Forest Weiler, Esther Lambert and David Perry Penick. Also, boarding in the household were two young oil company workers.
  • He married Ruby Dawson Houston, daughter of Benjamin Franklin Houston and Mary Ann Elliott, on 30 December 1908 in Navarro County, Texas.
  • Herold James Weiler and Ruby Dawson Houston appeared in the US federal census of 15 April 1910 in Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas, at 211 North [????] Street next door to his father.. Other members of the household included John Eugene Weiler.
  • He was a factory proprietor, according to the 1910 census.
  • The following appeared on 13 November 1917 in the Corsicana Semi-Weekly Light: (From Friday's Daily) Capt Harold Weiler of Troop D., Texas National Guard was painfully injured in Ft. Worth late yesterday afternoon. Capt. Weiler was riding a motorcycle in the city when a heavily loaded auto truck ran into him, causing several painful injuries. As a result of the accident one toe and half of another toe had to be amputated, one hand was badly cut and one hip painfully crushed. Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Weiler, parents of th wounded officer, went to Ft. Worth last night to be with their son who was taken to St. Joseph's infirmary immediately after the accident and they telephoned here today that the wounded man is resting well but is pretty sore as a result of the unfortunate accident.
  • The following appeared on 13 August 1918 in The Corsicana Semi-Weekly Light: (From Saturday's Daily) Mrs. Nellie Callahan Weiler, wife of J. L. Weiler, passed away at the family home, corner of North Eleventh street and West Fourth Avenue, at three o'clock this morning after many months of bad health. The deceased was fifty-four years of age, and had lived in Corsicana for nearly twenty hears. She was born in Johnstown, Pa., but grew to womanhood in Illinois, from where she came to Texas with her husband and three sons.
         The deceased was an active and faithful member of the First Methodist church, and lead a Christian life, the influence of which will live after her. She is survived by her venerable and invalid mother Mrs. Ester Penick, who made her home with the Weiler family, her husband and three sons, Prof. Geo. Weiler, of Fargo, North Dakota; Capt. Harold J. Weiler now with the American army in France, and Lieutenant Forrest Weiler, of Camp Logan, Houston. The latter is here and Prof. Weiler may reach here in time for the funeral which will probably take place from the First Methodist Church at 4 o'clock Monday afternoon, with interment in Oakwood.
         The active pall bearers will be S. W. Burdine, J. E. Blair, C. T. Banister, A A. Allison, W. J. Seelig and J. N. Royall. Honorary pall bearers will be the members of the United Commercial Travelers living in Corsicana.
  • Herold James Weiler and Ruby Dawson Houston appeared in the US federal census of 1 January 1920 in Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas, at 647 West Collin. Other members of the household included John Eugene Weiler, Eleanor Marie Weiler and Herold James Weiler Jr.
  • He was an assistant superintendent with an oil company, according to the 1920 census.
  • The following appeared on 23 September 1924 in The Corsicana Daily Sun: At 7:30 this morning, J. L. Weiler died suddenly in the bath room at his home, 2111 West Fifth avenue. The deceased was 63 years of age in May last and had been a resident here for twenty-four years.
         The deceased was a native of Illinois and came from that state to Texas. For a number of years he engaged in the furniture business, but due to ill health he had not been regularly in business for some time.
         The deceased was a member of the First Methodist church, and was one of the most devoted and ardent workers in the Sunday school. He organized a men's Bible class in the First Methodist church, and when it became necessary for him to cease teaching the class, in his honor it was named the Weiler Bible class, and still bears his name. The class is now one of the largest Bible classes ever in a Corsicana Sunday school, and will continue to bear the name of the man who organized and who devoted many anxious hours in the labor of building and keeping the class foremost in the good work of the Sabbath school. The deceased was a good and true man in all the essentials of life, and his death, though not unexpected, is sorely regretted by the enrire community.
         Surviving the deceased is his wife and three children. The children are George Weiler of Iowa, Harold Weiler of Wichita Falls, and Forrest Weiler of Dallas. Two step-daughters live in Nebraska and Minnesota, and a step-son in Montana. Funeral arrangements will not be announced until these are all heard from.
  • Herold James Weiler and Ruby Dawson Houston appeared in the US federal census of 1 April 1930 in Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas, at 1810 Filmore Street. Other members of the household included John Eugene Weiler, Eleanor Marie Weiler and Herold James Weiler Jr. Enumerator for the area was Mrs. Ruby Weiler.
  • He was a manager, petroleum products, according to the 1930 census.
  • The following appeared on 26 June 1943 in the Corsicana Daily Sun: Major and Mrs. John E. Weiler, and children, John, Jr. and Louis[e], were spend-the-night guests in the home of their aunt, Mrs. W. D. Fountain, on Thursday en route from Austin where they visited in the home of Major Weiler's parents, Col. and Mrs. Harold Weiler, of Ft. Knox, Ky. where Major Weiler has been stationed as executive officer of the 87th Armored Field Artillery Battalion since April.
         Prior to his Kentucky assignment, Major Weiler had spent 15 months with the armed forces in Panama.
         Lieut Harold J. Weiler of the U.S.N. Air Service, and until recently a fighter pilot on an aircraft carried in the African theater of war, is now on duty in Ordnance Procurement headquarters in Washington, D.C. Mrs. Weiler has joined her husband in the capital city.
         Major John E. Weiler and Lieut. Harold J. Weiler, Jr. are native Corsicanans, and are both the sons of Col. and Mrs. Harold J. Weiler of Austin.
  • Herold James Weiler died on 18 November 1945 at age 59.
  • Ruby Dawson Houston became a widow at his death.
  • He was interred at Oakwood Cemetery, Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas.
  • The following appeared on 19 November 1945 in The Dallas Morning News: (Austin, Nov. 18) Lt. Col. Herold J. Weiler of Austin, procurement officer of the State Selective Service Department, was killed in a duck blind in a field near Refugio early Sunday, friends have been informed.
         Gen. J. Watt Page, State Selective Service director, said he learned Weiler was asleep in a duck blind when a motorist drove through the field and the car fell into the blind, crushing Weiler. The colonel's son, John, who was with him, was uninjured.
         Surviving are his wife and another son on Navy duty in the Pacific.
  • The following appeared on 20 November 1945 in the Corsicana Semi-Weekly Light: Funeral Services Scheduled in Corsicana Tuesday Afternoon. Funeral services for Lt.-Col. H. J. Weiler, 59, of Austin, accidentally killed Sunday near Refugio, will be held from the McCammon Funeral Home chapel Tuesday afternoon at 4 o'clock. Burial will be in Oakwood cemetery. The rites will be conducted by Rev. Robert Kennaugh, rector of St. John's Episcopal church, and Frank J. Dunn, minister of the Fifth Avenue Church of Christ. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge at Wichita Falls and American Legion Post 316 at Austin.
         Col. Weiler went duck hunting with his son Lt. Col. John Weiler, also of Austin, early Sunday morning, and the elder hunter had fallen asleep, according to Associated Press dispatches relative to thye accident, when a motorist driving through the field crashed through the blind. Col. Weiler died within a few minutes in the arms of his son who was unharmed.
         The veteran officer, procurement officer for the state selective service department, a native of Illinois who was reared in Corsicana, was one of the best known military officers in Texas, and was due to go on terminal leave December 29, with full retirement on his sixtieth [See Weiler, Page 2] birthday, April 30, next year. He enlisted in the cavalry in 1907 and was commissioned Feb. 22, 1912. He had border service as a first lieutenant of cavalry beginning May 17, 1916, and was captain in the 131st Field Artillery, 36th Division, in overseas service in World War I. He became commander of the 131st Field Artillery with the rank of colonel, and in 1935, was appointed U. S. Property and disbursing officer of Texas with the rank of lieutenant colonel, QMC, for this service.
         In 1940, when the service was federalized, Col. Weiler became the procurement officer for state selective service, an office he held until his death.
         Surviving are his wife of Austin, formerly Ruby Houston of Corsicana; two sons, Col. John E. Wiler, Austin, and Lt.-Comdr. H. J. Weiler, Jr., U. S. Navy plane carrier, now en route to Guam in the Pacific; a daughter, Mrs. William Lightsey, Arlington, Va; eight grandchildren, and two brothers, George W. Weiler, Des Moines, Iowa, and L. F. Weiler, Houston; and other relatives.
         Pallbearers will be Otis Nelson, Wichita Falls; John Pugh Humphrey, Wichita Falls; Lt.-Col. Joe M. Daniel, Corsicana; Jerry Daniel, Kerens; Hugh T. Sparks, Major Festus A. Pierce, Percy Blackburn, N. Suttle Roberts and J. A. Sowell, all of Corsicana; Major Hal C. Johnson, Austin, and Ben Lockhart, Austin.
         Honorary pallbearers will be officers of the state selective service headquarters in Austin.
  • Last Edited: 29 Oct 2014

Family: Ruby Dawson Houston b. 3 October 1886, d. 26 October 1982