Charles Gum

Born June 12, 1918 near Mill Point, WV son of the late Charles Emery and Rachel Ruckman Gum and a resident of Oak Hill, WV, Charles Wallace Gum , 88, died on Tuesday, December 05, 2006 at Plateau Medical Center in Oak Hill, WV. On May 28, 1954 he married Melissa Gwinn Payne. She preceded him in death on May 9, 2000. Mr. Gum was a 1936 graduate of Hillsboro High School, Hillsboro, WV and received his B.A. degree from Fairmont State College, magna cum laude 1947 and his M.A. from George Peabody College, Nashville, TN in 1948. He taught three years in Pocahontas County, WV, six years in Fayette County and served as principal in Warren County, OH and twenty-one years in the Middletown City Schools in Butler County, OH, from which he retired in 1979. Charles was drafted into the military service April 26, 1941. He served in the 201st Antitank Company at Fort Greeley, Kodiak, Alaska for fifteen months after which he was transferred to the Antitank Company, 350th Infantry, 88th Division as a reconnaissance non-commissioned officer at Camp Gruber, OK. The 88th Division was the first all draftee division placed in combat in the European Theatre. It arrived at the front lines March 4, 1944 north of Naples at Minturno, Italy and was the first allied division to enter Rome June 5, 1944 and continued to the Italian Alps at Bassano, Italy until Mary 2, 1945 at the surrender of the Italian and German Armies in Italy. He received many service awards including Combat Infantryman Badge, Bronze Star Medal, Sharpshooter Badge, American Defense Medal with Foreign Service Bar (often designated the Pre-Pearl Harbor Service Medal), Asiatic-Pacific Service Medal with bronze campaign star, American Theater Service Medal, European-African-Middle East Service Medal with three campaign stars: 1. Rome-Arno, 2. Northern Apennies, 3. Po Valley, Good Conduct Medal and World War II Victory Medal. He was discharged August 11, 1945, Fort George G. Meade, MD after 52 months of service of which 36 months were overseas duty. Mr. Gum was a sixty-year member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was a member of the Oak Hill United Methodist Church, where he assisted in writing the latest addition to the history of the church. He was a member of the Fayette County Historical Society and served as a tour guide at the George W. Eads Museum at "Contentment" the home of George W. Imboden, Lt. Col. CSA in Ansted. He also assisted in writing and editing the 1993 Fayette County History. Survivors include sister, Madeline Ruth Gum Ruckman of Selma, NC; brother, Max L. Gum of Buckeye, WV; five nieces and five nephews. A sister, Verna Kathleen Gum Robbins and a brother, Alfred Renick Gum, Sr. preceded him in death. Visitation will be held at Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill on Friday, December 8, 2006, from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM. Services will be on Saturday, December 9, 2006 at 1:00 P.M. at Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill with Dr. John Sauvage officiating. Entombment will be at High Lawn Memorial Park Mausoleum, Oak Hill WV with military graveside rites by VFW Post 3110, Oak Hill. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorial contributions be made to the Fayette County Historical Society, HC 66 Box 94, Hico WV 25854 or the Oak Hill United Methodist Church, 205 East Main Street, Oak Hill WV 25901 Pallbearers will be Patrick Payne, Buren Payne, Glen Warden, Karl Williams, Glenn Morris and Lowell Payne.