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Re: Seeking information on Romeo Napier (also know as Robert Williams)
Rebecca Collier
Jun 12, 2020 12:43 PM
1 person found this helpfulDear Mr. White,
Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!
We searched the Access to Archival Databases (AAD) and locate the World War II Army Enlistment Records database that includes a file pertaining to Romeo Napier. Please use the information in this file when requesting a copy of his Official Military Personnel File (OMPF).
OMPFs and individual medical reports for enlisted men of the U.S. Army who were separated from the service after October 1912 and prior to 1958 are in the custody of NARA's National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. In many cases where personnel records were destroyed in the 1973 fire, proof of service can be provided from other records such as morning reports, payrolls, and military orders, and a certificate of military service will be issued. Please complete a GSA Standard Form 180 and mail it to NARA's National Personnel Records Center, (Military Personnel Records), 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, MO 63138-1002. You also may fax the form to 314-801-9195. Veterans and their next of kin also may use eVetRecs to request records. See eVetRecs Help for instructions. For more information see Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF), Archival Records Requests. His name change may be part of his file.
Due to the coronavirus public health emergency, the National Personnel Records Center is servicing only urgent requests related to homeless veterans, medical emergencies, and funerals which may be faxed to 314-801-0764. We thank you for your patience and look forward to resuming normal operations when the public health emergency has ended.
We searched the National Archives Catalog and located the Population Schedules for the 1910 Census, the Population Schedules for the 1920 Census, the Population Schedules for the 1930 Census, and the Population Schedules for the 1940 Census in the Records of the Bureau of the Census (Record Group 29) that may include the names you seek. Some of the schedules have been digitized in part or whole (for 1940 only). For access to the non-digitized schedules, please contact the National Archives at Washington, DC - Textual Reference (RDT1) via email at archives1reference@nara.gov.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of NARA staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgement as well as a substantive response to your reference request from RDT1. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.
Ancestry has digitized all of the census schedules. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Archives has partnered with Ancestry to make the vast majority of their NARA-digitized holdings freely available to the public. Anyone with Internet access may create an account, access NARA records, and use other Ancestry resources, such as their educational offerings and family tree-maker application. For more information see Ancestry’s announcement -- “Free At-Home Education Resources From Ancestry® and Access to Nearly 500M National Archives Records”.
We also searched the National Park Service Soldiers and Sailors Database and located several Soldiers with the last name “Napier.” One may be the ancestor you seek.
We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your family research!
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Re: Seeking information on Romeo Napier (also know as Robert Williams)
Hi Rebecca. Thank you for your search, but I do not believe that first person is the correct Romeo Napier. He is someone I'd looked at before, and I could find no evidence that he was ever in the St. Louis area. He is also buried as Romeo Napier down in Mississippi.
In my continued search, I have come across a Cloid Romeo Napier (middle name often just listed as R) born 30 Mar 1911 in Seymour, Missouri who I feel is a very likely candidate. This is the same date of birth of one of the Robert Williams on my short list buried in Jefferson Barracks. From records I can find, he first appears during the 1920 census after his mother Virginia married William Menges. He then appears again in the 1940 census and is listed as divorced, which fits in the time frame of my grandma's birth.
In 1940 he also married a Ruby Irene Biggs, however I can't find any records of children. In June 1943 he enlisted in the Army (service number 37615523), but in October 1943 he was hospitalized and not discharged until Jan 2040.
The hospital record says:
Diagnosis: Diagnosis: [withheld by NARA]
Type of Injury: Disease
Injured in Line of Duty: Not in line of duty, existed prior to service
I can find no record other record after that. And I can find no other record for Robert Williams born 30 Mar 1911 except for his grave.
Again thank you for the research that you've done, and I'll certainly be reaching out to see if I can get his records once the Archives are open again.
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Re: Seeking information on Romeo Napier (also know as Robert Williams)
1 person found this helpfulIan,
Here is some information I found. It contains his place of burial and service number at the bottom. This seem like the person you seek. There is a seperation document on file and it looks like he was discharged due to some sort of health related issue. The address on the paperwork stayed 3452 St. Vincent St., St. Louis, MO.
Name: Cloid R Napier Event Type: Military Service Event Date: 20 Jan 1944 Event Place: Louisiana, United States Event Place (Original): Camp Claiborne, Louisiana Residence Place: Saint Louis, Missouri Marital Status: Married Military Service Branch: Engineers Birth Date: 30 Mar 1911 Birthplace: Seymour, Missouri Serial Number: 37615523 -
Re: Seeking information on Romeo Napier (also know as Robert Williams)
Thank you! That is very helpful and seems to concur with what my dad remembered about him having a mental problem. Can you point out exactly where it says his place of burial as I don't seem to see it?
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Re: Seeking information on Romeo Napier (also know as Robert Williams)
Ian,
Looked at the 1940 Census and had him listed as Cloid Napier age 29, and divorced.
However, you thought he got married in that year its possible he was married after the Census was taken in 1940.
Well if Ruby married him I wonder if she used his last name of William's or Napier. Do you happen to know if Ruby was born in Missouri as well.
Thanks,
Elliot Schneider
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Re: Seeking information on Romeo Napier (also know as Robert Williams)
Hi Elliot,
Cloid and Ruby were married July 3, 1940, so yes, the 1940 census listing him as divorced was from before that marriage. I've still been unable to track down any record of his previous marriage.
Ruby was born and died in Fort Scott, Bourbon County, Kansas. Her gravestone is here listing her as Ruby Irene Smith https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/79318021
In the info on that page, it says "By 1940 she had divorced Cloid" citing the 1940 census, but that is wrong as the census was from April 1, 1940, so before he was married to Ruby.
From my understanding my great grandfather did not change his name until later in life (potentially not until his 60s which would have been the 1970s).
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Re: Seeking information on Romeo Napier (also know as Robert Williams)
BIRTH 30 Mar 1911 DEATH 15 Mar 1980 (aged 68) BURIAL Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery
Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri, USAPLOT P 0 376 MEMORIAL ID 81346284 · View Source
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Re: Seeking information on Romeo Napier (also know as Robert Williams)
1 person found this helpfulHi Ian,
Found enlistment https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8L5-9N5
Found this Honorable discharge, due to illness, from the army certificate for a Cloid R Napier. dated Jan. 20, 1944. states that he is married with 3 dependents. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L96D-L6PD?cc=2392705&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AQLYK-Z9Z4
You could contact the State of Missouri Vital Records for birth and death certificates , there is a fee for copies at https://health.mo.gov/data/vitalrecords/pdf/birthdeath.pdf
This is my guess: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/81346284/robert-williams You could contact Jefferson Barracks to find out this person's serial number.
Best Wishes
Alice Lane
Volunteer Researcher
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Re: Seeking information on Romeo Napier (also know as Robert Williams)
Thank you! I'd missed the amount of dependents, so that is very interesting and something I'll have to continue researching (haven't been able to find anything on potential children or much on his wife other than her last name was different when she died so there was likely a divorce and another marriage).
I'd looked into getting those records, but I'd worried that I don't have enough information as I'm missing the first name of his father and his mother's maiden name. I also don't know where he died.
I had contacted Jefferson Barracks previously, but that they don't have that information available, so I'll have to wait until I can request info from the National Archives. Thanks again!
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