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Note: ARWOOD GLENN DOWNING, and Mother most likely came to Ionia, Michigan sometime in the Fall of 1926 as this is when I first find him in the school records. He is a student in the seventh grade. ARWOOD GLENN DOWNING AKA, --DONALD GLENN DONALLY. All his School Records and National Guard Records, Ionia Directory, and his First Marriage Record, show him as ARWOOD GLENN DOWNING or GLENN ARWOOD DOWNING. All school records list name as ARWOOD GLENN DOWNING, date of birth as April 16, 1912, Westville, Illinois, father as GUST DOWNING, mother as MINNIE, no surname. On Oct. 1, 1928, ARWOOD GLENN DOWNING, enlisted in the National Guard. His Enlistment record tell this. Name- GLENN A. DOWNING, address- 164 Adams St. Ionia Michigan. Address of nearest relative - Mrs. MINNIE DOWNING (Mother) same address. Enlisted at Ionia, Mich. on Oct.1, 1928 in Company "H" 126th Inf. for 3 years. Other information given was date of birth -- April 16, 1910, Westville, Illinois, Education qualification, Years in grammar school -- 8. High School -- 2. and that his regular trade or occupation is -- Student. It was then signed GLEN ARWOOD DOWNING. He was Out on June 22, 1931, Re-enlisted Sept. 24, 1934 to Nov. 7, 1936. 1933 July 29, GLENN ARWOOD DOWNING married MARION RUBY BOROFF in the City of Ionia, his age was listed as 21, born in Illinois, Occ. Weaver, father was given as JOHN L. DOWNING mother was given as MINNIE DONAVAN. MARION R. BOROFF was age 17, born in Mecosta Co., Mich. Occ. at home, father was CHARLES O. BOROFF, mother was PEARL COLE, both had never married before. Justice of the Peace John C. Beattie preformed the wedding and MINNIE DOWNING and PEARL BOROFF were listed as witness. This marriage ended in Divorce on June 24, 1937 - Decree # 8305 at the Ionia Co., Court House. One child was born from this marriage. This marriage and Child were never known about by any of the members of the DONALLY family, until the year 2000, when DONNA M. (LAW) DONALLY, wife of DONALD EDWIN DONALLY, was looking up some other family history at the Ionia Court House and found a listing for a divorce for ARWOOD G. DOWNING, and looked it up. Later that day, DONALD went looking for his 1/2 brother only to find out that he had died the year before. He was never to get to know him. Or his family. The son of DONALD, PATRICK, had meet the son of GLENN C. DOWNING, WADE, had meet in a work place in Ionia. Both had talked about the name DOWNING, being a family name, but never made much of it till later, but then WADE DOWNING had moved out of the Ionia area. On May 9, 1938, ARWOOD GLENN DOWNING, made application for U.S. Social Security application for account number using the name DONALD GLENN DONALLY (For the first time that I can find). The following information was given. He was at this time unemployed, living at 1367 Plainfield N.E. in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was age 22 at last birthday, and was born on November 16, 1915 at Westville, Cook Co., Illinois. His father was DONALD ROBERT DONALLY and his mother was MINNIE RUTH DOWNING, he was a male and color; white. and signed it DONALD G. DONALLY. On Dec. 7, 1938, He married for the first time using the name DONALD GLENN DONALLY, listing father as DONALD JOHN DONALLY and mother as ORA LIGGETT. his age as 22 residence is 211 Morrison St. S.E. Grand Rapids, Michigan, birth place as Danville, Illinois, occupation is contract worker. On Jan. 15, 1941, he made out a application for a belated birth certificate, listing the following information. Full name at birth DONALD GLENN DONALLY, male, Was birth Legitimate? Yes, date of birth April 16, 1916, full name of father ORA GLENN DONALLY, his residence at time of birth - Danville, Illinois, his color- White, his age at time of this birth 27yrs., his place of birth - Butternut corners, Indiana, his occupation- Farmer. Full name of mother MINNIE LEONA DOWNING, her residence at time of birth - Westville, Illinois, her color - White, her age at the time of this birth 27yrs. her place of birth - Westville, Illinois, occupation - house-keeping, Number of children born to this mother at the time of and including this birth - one. This was signed by MINNIE LEONA DOWNING, DONALLY mother address 142 Bostwick St. N. E. Grand Rapids, Michigan dated Jan. 15, 1941. On Dec. 31, 1942, DON DONALLY enter the U. S. Army-Air Force and was Honorable Discharge on Oct. 18, 1943. Re-enlisted in the Michigan Nation Guard in Ionia on Dec. 9, 1946 and was Honorable Discharge on August 30, 1950, as Sgt. 1st Class. The ARWOOD GLENN DOWNING and the DONALD GLENN DONALLY, papers are both in the same file. When DON married a 3th time he used the name DONALD GLENN DONALLY and also the names of ORA GLENN DONALLY and MINNIE LEONA DOWNING as his parents. I was told by DON, that he never net his father, but when he was about 16 years old on a trip to Westville, he was told that he missed seeing his father by a few days. He also told his granddaughter, VALERIE LYNN DONALLY, that he had been born Illegitimate. As did he tell his son KEITH. MINNIE DOWNING, married in Ionia Co., Michigan in 1954. This was her 3th marriage as listed on the record. If the 1st was to a DONALLY, the 2nd to a LIGGETT, then this was indeed her 3th marriage. Maybe she was running away from a bad marriage and didn't want to be found?? Or maybe there was no DONALLY. Any way your guess is as good as mine. As for the real year DONALD GLENN DONALLY, was born, anytime between 1910 $ 1916, my guess is April 16, 1812. I'm basing this on his school records and on his Michigan Nation Guard Records. On his Guard records he lists his birth as April 16l, 1910, occupation Student. His School records from Ionia, list birth as April 16, 1912. On Oct. 1, 1928 the date he joined the Guard, School records show him in the 9th grade, and the year book for 1929 showing him in the sophomore class, or 10th grade. Take 1928 and sub. 1910 you get 18 Take 1928 and sub. 1912 you get 16. Take 1928 and sub. 1916 you get 12. My guess is he lied to the Guard and was really 16 turning 17 on the next April. If born in 1912, he was a little behind in school, If he started at the age of 5, he should have ben in the 11th grade, in 1912, not the 9th. But he did change schools and States. He didn't do to well in school. If born in 1910, he should have been out of school by 1928. If born in 1916, he would have been in the 7th grade, if he stated school at age 5, not in the 9th, he didn't do that well to have jump ahead. The OB. of DONALD GLENN DONALLY taken from the Lansing newspaper. DONALLY - DONALD G. Lansing Age 71, died at his residence November 4, 1987 after a long illness. He was a member of Maranatha Baptist Church: a Veteran of World War II serving in the Army-Air Force; was employed with Oldsmobile for 34 years, retiring in 1979; a member of the Quarter Century Club and U.A.W # 652. Surviving is his wife, Berniece; 2 sons, DONALD E. and wife DONNA, KEITH and his wife NANCY; 1 daughter, GLENNA K. wife of ROBERT LOGAN; 9 grandchildren; 1 great grandchild. the family will be receiving their friends from 2 -4 and from 7 - 9 p.m. Friday at the Tiffany Funeral Home. Funeral services will be private.
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