William A. Hemphill
Full Name: William Andrew Hemphill
Date of Birth: 1914
Place of Birth: Neosho County, Kansas
Father and Mother’s Names: John and Zella Hemphill
Spouse and Children's Names: Marjorie Sellers Hemphill (wife), Sue Ellen (daughter) and William A. Hemphill II (son).
Date Entered Service: TBD
Service Branch: Navy Reserves
Rank/Specialty: Lieutenant Junior Grade
Service ID: 296258
Division/Company/Unit info: TBD
Riley Connection: William attended Kansas State College, graduating in 1938. The 1940 U.S. Census shows William as living as a lodger at an address on College Ave. in Manhattan.
Date of Death (and Age): June 25, 1945 (age 31)
Place of Death: South Pacific
Grave Location: Elmwood Cemetery, Chanute, Neosho Co., Kansas.
Bio: William grew up in Chanute and came to Manhattan to attend Kansas State College. He was an agriculture major and the junior class president. He was an athlete and lettered in football, track, and boxing. The 1940 city directory for Topeka shows that William and his wife Marjorie were living in Topeka and that William was working for the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. The 1940 U.S. Census places William in Manhattan, living at an address on College Ave. as a lodger. While Marjorie is not shown in the Census records as residing at the same residence, William’s marital status is listed as “married.” At the time of William’s death, Marjorie was living at 1609 Humboldt St. in Manhattan. Marjorie would later become a faculty member at K-State in Institutional/Restaurant Management in the College of Home Economics (now known as Human Ecology). William served in the Navy Reserves and lost his life while serving in the South Pacific. William’s name is on the dedication plaque at All Faiths Chapel. His name, along with the names of Dale Johnson and Lyle Murphy, is also on a memorial sundial, honoring horticulture students who lost their lives in WWII. Both All Faiths Chapel and the sundial are on the KSU campus.
The information available for this veteran is incomplete. We would like to include as much information about all our veterans as possible, so if you or someone you know has any additional information we encourage you to contact us at: peacememorialmanhattan@gmail.com. Thank you for your support.
