Kenneth Earl Julien

Kenneth Early Julien. Birth 1919 in Allegan County, Michigan.

In the 1920 Census Kenneth was not even a year old yet.

Kenneth was the oldest of three children to Andrew and Anna. From census records I found that he completed the 10th grade. On the 1930 census it notes that his family had a radio.

1930 Census. I’ve circled the Radio set noted. Also, it seems my grandfather’s family lived within walking distance of the Otsego Paper Mill where my great grandfather worked.

Kenneth finished the 10th grade and then started working. In the 1940 Census Kenneth stated he was working as a laborer on a farm. Two years later Kenneth would be enlisting in the military to fight in World War II.

1940 Census record from Otsego, Michigan.
Kenneth Julien the year before entering the war.

Kenneth served in the United States Army during World War II. He started his military career in September 1942. He spent 30 months in India, Myanmar (Burma), and possibly into China with the 301st Air Service Group. While there some of his duties included directing and coordinating coded messages from teletype and telephone. Looking at a few military history websites, I think Kenneth was a member of the Signal Service Group for the 301st Air Service Group. He was released from the military December 29, 1945.

Another picture from Kenneth’s military service

Depending on where he was released from the military, Kenneth was likely back in Michigan at the very beginning of 1946. Just over 2 months from being released from the military he was getting married.

Kenneth Julien married Beatrice Marie Mohney on March 5, 1946. I need to order their wedding certificate (or the form their marriage is listed on as many counties at that time compiled marriages on one sheet). They ended up having 8 children together, 7 of whom lived to adulthood.

The Julien’s sometime in the mid to late 60s.

On March 18, 1961 his wife Beatrice died. The children went to live with family and into foster homes. On December 4, 1963 his mother and father were in a serious car accident and his mother died. From newspaper articles I found Kenneth married two more times. Both marriages ending in divorce. Kenneth died on November 19, 1978.