Obituary

Former Sherrard High School Athlete Killed Two Minutes After the take-Off.

  First Lieut. Peter B. Conner, 22, son of P. G. Conner of Sherrard was killed in a plane crash, Wednesday, Jan. 26, according to a message received by his father, Friday morning.
  The plane crash was in the western African area (the plane crashed two minutes after the takeoff.)
  Lt. Conner and along with others in an American medium bombardment group received air medals in December for "meritorious achievement while participating in missions totaling more than a hundred hours in India.

In India Year Ago

  Lt. Conner went to India more than a year ago and has been stationed there since then.
  This is far from the location mentioned in the message Mr. Conner received and he thinks it might have been possible that young Conner was homeward bound as he was expected here in April on a furlough.
  Lt. Conner is a graduate of the Sherrard high school with the class of '39. He attended Western Illinois State Teachers' college in in Macomb until the time of his enlistment in '42.

Won Wings in 1942

  He began his training at Kelly Field, Texas and also had training at Randolph Field and Garner Field, Texas. He finished his training at Hoster Field, Victoria, Tex., and received his wings Sept. 6, '42.
  Lt. Conner was stationed in South Carolina for a few weeks and from there was sent to Miami, Fla., for a short time. From there, Lt. Conner was sent overseas.

Good Athlete

  He was an outstanding athlete both in high school and college. He received honors in track, baseball and basketball, and was considered Western's best half-mile runner. He held the 880 yard record in the Viking relays, sponsored by Augustana college, at exactly two minutes and placed in every meet he entered for Western.
  Peter was born June 5, 1921 in Matherville, son of Peter Conner and the late Elizabeth Conner. His mother died when he was 12 years old.
  Survivors are his father, several uncles and aunts and many friends.
  Lt. Conner was the third member of the class of 1939 of Sherrard high school lost in the present war. William Gibson was killed in a plane crash at Glenview Air base and Robert Douglas was reported missing in action on a bomber.
  Peter, Bill and Bob, along with Junior Thor and Warren Mueller played basketball together in grade school and all during their high school days. The two remaining boys, Warren and Junior, are serving their country-Junior serving with the Navy in the Pacific area and Warren is serving with the Army in Fairbanks, Alaska.
(Aledo Times Record, February 2, 1944)