PFC Rainsford Whittier Parlee

at 16 years old

PFC Rainsford Whittier Parlee was born 19 May 1912 in Los Angeles County, California. He was the 3rd of the 4 children born to Norman Whittier and Hannah L. (Adamson) Parlee. However, a sister, Ruth, had died in infancy just 4-years earlier. His father was a native Canadian who worked as a bookkeeper and his mother was born in England. Rainsford graduated from the Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles in 1931.

On 2 Nov 1934 Rainsford married Caroline E. Gould but the couple would divorce in 1938 but had no children. In 1940 he was livin with his parents at 6519½ West Sixth Street which they rented for $40 a month. His father was working as an assayer for a mining company and reported a 1939 income of $1250. Rainsford was working as a printer and reported a 1939 income of $1500. Also living in the home were his brother and sister who were also working, his brother was an electrical engineer and his sister a stenographer. They brought another $3450 into the household which made the Parlee family very well off for the time. Riansford married again in March 1942, this time to Veronica Pauline Hoefs who had moved to California from Pierce County, Nebraska.

It was likely not long after his second marriage that Rainsford was drafted and sent to England where he was assigned to L Company 116th Infantry. He was with the unit from D-Day until he was killed in action on 6 Sep 1944 as the unit fought in the effort to capture Brest, France.

PFC Parlee was repatriated and re-interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California where he rests forever near all his immediate family.

Veronica never re-married. The couple had no children.