Bodies Of Cpl. Curran, Cpl. Selukas And Sgt. Erker Will Lie In State
Three local war heroes who lost their lives in England have recently been returned to this country and will arrive in Norwood this week for final military honors.
They are Corporal John E. Curran, the brother o£ James J. Curran of 88 Railroad Avenue, Norwood; Corporal Joseph A. Selukas, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Selukas of 18 St Paul Avenue, Norwood; and Staff Sergeant Edward C. Erker, the son of Mr and Mrs. Joseph Erker of 103 Bullard Street Walpole.
Cpl. Selukas, who died in an accident In England on December 5, arrived at Norwood Central last night at 9:04. He will lie in state at the home of his parents, St. Paul Avenue, until Saturday morning at 8.15. A solemn high mass of requiem will be held at nine o’clock at St. George’s Lithuanian Church, attended by delegations from Norwood’s veterans organizations. Burial will be at Highland Cemetery.
Cpl. Selukas is also survived by his widow Mrs. Helen (Volant) Selukas of Watertown, and a daughter Alice.
The bodies of Cpl. Curran and S/Sgt. Erker will arrive at Norwood Central this evening at 9.04 from New York.
Final military honors will be accorded Cpl. Curran at funeral services Monday morning, when a solemn high mass of requiem will be held at St. Catherine’s Church at nine o’clock. He will lie in state at his late residence, 88 Railroad Avenue, from Saturday until the cortege leaves his home at 8:15 Monday morning. The interment will be at Highland Cemetery.
The son of the late Martin and Mary Curran, Cpl. Curran died by accident in England on May 15, 1944. He had served with the Coast Artillery for two years at the time of his death, and previous to his service in England had been stationed in Iceland for 21 months. He was a member of the first group of inductees to leave Norwood under the Selective Service, in February 1941.
He is survived by his brother and three sisters, Patricia, Nora, and Mary Curran. Delegations from military organizations attended the solemn high mass of requiem held for him at St. Catherine’s Church in June 1944, shortly after members of his family had been notified of his death.
Staff Sergeant Edward C. Erker will also arrive in Norwood at 9:04 tomorrow evening and will be taken to the Gillooly Funeral Home, 126 Walpole Street, to lie in state under military guard. The funeral will be held from the funeral home Monday morning with a requiem high mass at the Blessed Sacrament Church in Walpole at 9 a.m.
Visiting hours will be from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Gillooly’s. Burial will be at Highland Cemetery.
S/Sgt. Erker was killed in an airplane accident in England on February 9, 1945. He had completed fifty missions as an aerial gunner and was scheduled to return home at the time of his death. He had been overseas since May. 1944. Before entering the service he was employed at Bird and Son.
(All articles originally appeared in the Norwood Messenger unless otherwise noted)