PVT Clarence Emory Mosbey

courtesy of Cheryl

PVT Clarence Emory Mosbey was born as Clarence Emory Gates on 30 Jan 1906 in Kerney, Pennsylvania. He was the2nd child and son of Allen C. and Hannah Barbara (Winter) Gates. His mother died of a uterine hemorrhage resulting from child birth in November 1907. His father was working as a miner and apparently unable to care for the infant (his sister was 4-years old at the time) and Clarence was adopted by John N. and Sarah Jane (Stevenson) Gates in January 1908. Clarence's adoptive father was also a coal miner and a native of England. By 1930, Clarence was working in the coal mines as well. When he registered for the draft he noted the person who would always know his location as his friend, Laura Jones Swope. Clarence would marry Laura (Jones) after her divorce in March 1943.

Clarence was drafted in August 1943. After his basic training he was sent to the European theater in July 1944. It wasn't until 11 Aug 1944 that he was transferred from the replacement depot to C Company 116th Infantry where he was to serve as an ammunition handler. PVT Mosbey apparently went missing in action but it was determined that he had been killed in action on 25 Aug 1944.

PVT Mosbey was repatriated and is buried with his wife and one of her daughters in the Broad Top International Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery in Broad Top, Pennsylvania.

His father, Allen, was a veteran of the Spanish American War. Half-brother, Chester Allen Gates, would die in 1952 of complications from injuries suffered in 607th Engineer Company when a truck rolled on top of him in Germany in 1945.