OBIT: James H. MERCIER, Lt., native of Somerset County, PA File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Meyersdale Library. Transcribed and proofread by: Richard Boyer. Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/somerset/ ________________________________________________ JAMES H. MERCIER Lt. James H. Mercier, of the U.S. Air Corps, met with a fatal accident in California on Monday, Nov. 13, while enroute to the West Coast. He was next to the youngest son of Wooton and Frannie (Shipley) Mercier of Providence, R.I. The body will arrive in Meyersdale Sunday at noon and will be taken to the home of his aunt, Miss Belle Shipley, where funeral services will be conducted at 2:30 o'clock on Monday afternoon by Rev. R. M. Dunkelberger, D.D. Burial will be made in the Shipley lot in Union Cemetery. Arrangements are in charge of H. R. Konhaus, local mortician. A complete obituary will be published in next week's issue. Meyersdale Republican, November 16, 1944 ---- Fatal Plane Crash Caused by Ice on Wings of Bomber Body of Lt. James H. Mercier Laid to Rest Here - Entire Family Attended Obsequies Funeral services for Lt. James H. Mercier, 22, formerly of Meyersdale, who was killed in an airplane crash in California last week, were held on Monday afternoon at 2:30, at the home of his aunt, Miss Belle Shipley, Rev. R. M. Dunkleberger, D.D., pastor of Zion Lutheran Church officiating, interment following in the Shipley family lot in Union Cemetery. A number of servicemen here on furlough acted as pall-bearers. Members of Charles E. Kelly Post, American Legion, conducted military burial rites at the grave. The young officer's parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Mercier accompanied by their youngest son, David, arrived from their home in Edgewood, R.I., on Saturday, and were joined here by their other surviving sons, William Mercier of Pittsburgh; Lt. John Mercier, of the Army Transportation Corps, who was awaiting orders at Oakland, California, when informed of his brother's tragic death, and came by plane; and Cpl. Richard Mercier, Army Air Force instructor, Buckingham Field, Florida. Lt. Braden Hughes, of Marsh Air Field, Riverside, California, near where the fatal accident occurred, accompanied the body of Lt. Mercier to Meyersdale. Mr. and Mrs. Mercier were informed that their son, a navigator bombadier, was enroute from Hunter Field, Savannah, Ga., to McMillan Field, California, when the plane in which he was traveling ran into heavy weather over the mountains in California, resulting in an ice condition which caused the plane to crash. Lt. Mercier was one of the several members of the crew instantly killed. They were within several hours, possibly one hour, of reaching their destination. Lt. James Mercier and all his brothers, except the oldest one, were born here in Meyersdale, but the family moved to Wilkinsburg when James was still in the primary grades. He was graduated from the Wilkinsburg High School about five years ago. Shortly after that the Merciers moved to Rhode Island. For a while James worked at Quonset Base, until he enlisted in the Air Corps in March, 1942. A number of intimate friends of the Mercier family from the Pittsburgh district attended the obsequies on Tuesday. Mrs. Mercier is the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. J. Thomas Shipley, Mr. and Mrs. Mercier and their youngest son, David, are remaining here for the rest of the week. Meyersdale Republican, November 23, 1944