One of the long time residents and known as the “Mayor of Maxville” was James Maehl and his wife Grace (Collins). Jim was born near Porter’s Corner, south of Philipsburg, on September 17, 1916. and was the youngest of the five children born to Ernest and Margaret Maehl.
Jim’s father, Ernest Maehl, moved from the Missoula area to a home near Porter’s Corner, in 1911 and is remembered by several major structures he built or worked on. Known jobs he worked are the Flint Creek Grade, with his son “Bud”; the wooden flumes built for the American Gem Mining Syndicate on the Skalkaho; the “Ewing Bungalow” originally owned by the president of the American Gem Mining Syndicate, and the Winninghoff garage. A number of people credit Ernest with building the stately Lawrence Hauck home, but there is no evidence of his involvement.
Ernest was born on December 4, 1876 in Reese, Michigan and married Margaret Emily McGibbon. She was born on September 25, 1869 in Brantford Ontario, Canada to Daniel McGibbon, born in Scotland and Sarah Ann Mills McGibbon, born in Canada. The family history states she was sent to Laramie, Wyoming at the age of eleven or twelve to live with an uncle who had a sheep ranch. She may have returned to Canada as the 1900 census stated she came to the U.S. in 1896. In the 1900 census Margaret was listed as a servant for William and Elizabeth Cordiner. At an unknown date she moved to Missoula and was working for a lumber company in Missoula when she married Ernest Maehl on June 29, 1904.
Their children married the following people: Sarah Agnes born May 14, 1905 (in Lolo) married John William McDonald, son of J.J; Margaret, born March 29, 1909 married Jim Mitchell July 3, 1934. Jim was killed in a mine accident on October 20, 1936. Margaret then married Robert Henry Lawry on October 29, 1941 in Philipsburg. She died at the age of eighty-five, on June 8, 1994 at her home in Philipsburg. They did not have any children;
Carl, known as Bud was born on October 31, 1911 in Philipsburg. He married Edith Emma Hansen on March 4, 1938 in Deer Lodge (Her obituary stated May 4); Edith was born on January 27, 1916 in Arco, Idaho to Nels and Christine (Wilkinson) Hansen. Edith graduated from Dillon Normal school before moving to Philipsburg where she was the housekeeper for the Catholic Church. Bud assisted his father with many perilous jobs including the Flint Creek Hill road. Bud died on October 17, 1986 and Edith died on March 26, 1996, at the Anaconda Hospital. Survivors were: Children and their spouses: Carl (Karen) of Helena, Lois (Tom) Lowe of Oregon, Robert (Joyce) of Anaconda and Edith (Matt) Roberts of California;
Mary born on April 14, 1914 married William Winfield Moore, March 27, 1941 in Drummond. William was born on September 5, 1900 in Clay Center, Kansas. William James Moore was born to them on September 29, 1943 in Butte. Mary died in 1971 in Philipsburg and William died in August 1974 in Helena;
Their youngest child James born September 14 (according to baptismal record) or 16, 1916 near Porter’s Corner. He married Grace C. Collins on August 21, 1948 in Missoula. Grace was born in Dixon, Montana on January 20, 1920.
Ernest died in 1951 at the age of seventy-five and is buried in the Philipsburg cemetery. Survivors were: wife Margaret, the children listed above and grandchildren: John and Peggy McDonald, Carl, Lois and Robert Maehl, and Billy Moore. Margaret died in 1972 at the age of 103 and is buried next to Ernest.
After graduating from the Granite County High School in 1936, Jim worked local jobs before serving in the military during WWII. Fortunately Jim’s son, Bill wrote a family history that included a detailed account of his fathers war experience.
After being discharged from the service, Jim returned to Philipsburg and began working for Winninghoff Motors. During this time he met Grace Collins, daughter of Edward and Fannie (Cody) Collins. They were married on August 21, 1948 in Missoula, Montana. The couple then began building their “dream” home on the banks of Boulder Creek in Maxville. The couple spent their life together there. Three sons were born to the couple: David James was stillborn on July 1, 1950 in Missoula and is buried in the Philipsburg cemetery; William Cody was born November 29, 1954 in Missoula; Ronald James was born on August 24, 1956 in Anaconda.
The following chronology was documented by James’ son Bill: “James enlisted into the Army on October 10, 1941 and served in World War II in the South Pacific. He was 5’9” tall and weighed 144 pounds when he enlisted. His army serial number was 39603180. He served with the 41st Division, 186th Infantry Regiment and was with the 218th Field Artillery Battalion (10/10/1941 – 2/13/1942), 641st Tank Destroyer Battalion (2/14/1942 – 6/23/1944), and the 98th Chemical Battalion (6/24/1944 – 12/1/1944)
10/10/1941
Inducted into army-Missoula, Mt. and travel to Ft. Lewis, Wa.
Oct. 1941 Left knee blown-out in basic training.
1
0/16/1941 Transferred to Camp Roberts, Ca. for basic training.
12/7/1941 Assigned to guard the west coast beaches near Grayland, Wa.
4/22/1942 Left San Francisco with the 41st Division in convoy aboard the SS Matsonia.
Early May, 1942 Convoy had to skirt major ship battles in Coral Sea.
5/13/1942 Arrived Port Adelaide, Australia.
5/13/1942 - 7/1942 Training at Puckapunyal, Australia.
7/1942 – 1/1/1943 Jungle training at Rockhampton, Australia.
1/1/1943 Shipped with 41st Division aboard Bendigo to Port Moresby, New Guinea. Encountered heavy bombing while in port.
Jan. 1943 Engaged in combat to secure Sananada. After allied troops got through the last enemy defense line, they found evidence of Japanese cannibalism (eating of American soldiers).
Feb.-Mar. 1943 Landed on Palawan Island, completing the occupation by March 8th. Allied losses totaled 8,546 killed and wounded.
Jan – April 1943 Engaged in the Owens Stanley Ridge campaign turning back enemy counterattacks. Rainfall of 10 inches per day in saw-toothed jungle range reaching a height of 13,000 feet. High temperatures and humidity near the coasts contrast with biting cold above 5,000 feet. Tangled growth requires a machete to cut through it. Knife edged kunai grass up to 7 feet high, reeking swamps full of leeches and malarial mosquitoes, and a slippery ground surface under dripping vegetation add to the formidable obstacle course. One group stumbled and slid 2,000 feet downhill in forty minutes; it took eight hours to recover the distance.
4/14/1943 Survived intense bombing raid of up to 100 Japanese bombers while in port at Milne Bay, New Guinea. Witnessed bombs drop on either side of his ship and two transports sunk within his convoy. This memory and story never forgotten and retold often.
July 1943 Return to Australia with over 35% of troops down with a active malaria.
Late 1943 Back to New Guinea and island hopping with Higgins landing craft around the east end of New Guinea and northward to Bougainville, Hollandia, Wadke and Biak.
4/17/1944 Invasion of Hollandia and Cyclops Airfield. U.S. casualties when the Hollandia campaign was officially closed were listed as 124 killed, 28 missing and 1,057 wounded. The Japanese losses were 4,475 killed.
May 1944 Elements of the 641st Tank Destroyer Battalion supported the 41st Division with the 4.2 inch chemical mortars they had received while in New Guinea. The enemy feared this weapon. The mortar men then used phosphorus rounds which, when exploded, sent pieces of burning phosphorus into the enemy foxholes, forcing them back to exposed ground. The Americans then fired high explosive rounds again to decimate the enemy.
5/27/1944 Landed and participated in the battle for Biak Island. The island was not completely secured until mid-July. The casualty figure for the U.S. at Biak was 474 killed, 2443 wounded and 7,234 non-battle casualties. The non-battle casualties resulted from malaria, scrub typhus, dengue fever, psycho-neurosis, and other afflictions. Total casualties numbered 10,151, approximately equaling the number of U.S. troops making the original landings (one of the worse [sic] battle fought during WWII).
9/13/1944 Left Australia on ship headed back to USA.
9/30/ 1944 James Maehl arrives back in USA.
9/30 – 12/1/1944 Debriefing, civilian training at Santa Barbara, California. Comes down with first bout of chronic malaria.
12/1/1944 Discharged at Fort Douglas, Utah.
Jim was active in the VFW #1876 and the DAV Post #13 and often served as commander of the local Philipsburg VFW. Jim served on the Maxville District School Board (#6) from at least 1960-1966.
Jim died on June 22, 2009 at the age of 94 and ¾ years of age. Survivors were his wife Grace, sons: Bill at Billings, Montana and Ron at Carson City, Nevada and their families which include 3 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.
Grace worked for 33 years along side Jim at Winninghoff Motors as the primary bookkeeper and died
in her sleep at their home in Maxville on June 14, 2010.
in her sleep at their home in Maxville, on June 14, 2010.
To be continued…
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