Ryan, Col. Thomas Aquinas

Other Events:

• Birth - Civil Record: 10 May 1911; Outagamie Vol 15B page 571
• 1920 Census: 1920, Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA
• Residence: 1944, , , North Carolina, USA
• Residence: 1963, , , Arizona, USA
• News Mention: Abt Nov 1967; Appleton Post Crescent
• Residence: 1969, Tucson, Pima, Arizona, USA
• Occupation: Bef 4 Feb 1989; Attorney - JAG U.S. Army
• Death Record - Civil: 4 Feb 1989
• Obituary: 4 Feb 1989; Appleton Post Crescent

Notes:

Birth - Civil Record:
Outagamie County Birth records Vol 15B page 571; Thomas Aquinas Ry an born on 5/10/1911 in Appleton to Thomas H Ryan and Elizabeth, her age 3 6, his occupation Municipal Judge

1920 Census:
page 2A ED #187; Listed living wi th parents, age 8, born in Wis.

Residence:
1944 Listed in fathers obit as Lieutenant Thomas A. Ryan of Camp Mackal l, NC.

Residence:
Listed as Thomas of Fort Huachua, AZ in his mothers obit.

News Mention:
Below is an article from the Appleton, Wisconsin Post-Crescent; da te November 1976From Tucson, Arizona, comes the story of a former Appleton Attorney, Thom as A. Ryan, who was surprised by the gift of a new, $20,000 Mercedes Be nz 300D because 32 years ago, while he was a World War II captain and ta nk commander, he saved the lives of many German children hidden in a castle. As reported in the Tucson newspaper, Ryan came onto a castle in the woods near Wolfsburg. German officers occupying the castle surrendered to Ryan without incident. In the castle were art treasures by the likes of Rembrandt and Van Gogh, hidden there because the museums were they had hung were in danger of being bombed. The castle also was a refuge for 32 children of high-ranking German military officers. Ryan remained at the castle about a month before returning to his command post 300 miles to the south. While he was at the command post, Ryan was made privy to secret information that the Russians would take control of the Wolfsburg area That bothered him, because he had heard that the Russians had executed many children of German officers in Berlin. So without orders, Ryan returned to the castle and after some finagling with British authorities, who controlled it, was able to evacuate the children. The adults sneaked away through the woods and fields, Ryan recalled. At the time Ryan was given a hand-carved dagger that had once been owned by Frederick the Great. The heirloom had been given to Ryan by one of the German families, in appreciation for his life-saving deed. Many of the children Ryan had saved tried to reach him, but the letters kept coming back from Appleton marked "deceased". That's because the letters were going to the home of his father, also named Thomas Ryan, who died in 1944. The elder Ryan was an Outagamie County Municipal Judge. A year ago, while attending a paratroopers' convention, Ryan met a general who asked about the children. The general said the commander of NATO 's ground forces, General Johann Kielslmansegg, had inquired about the incident. Three of Kielsmansegg's children were among the 32 children Ryan had saved.Ryan, a retired Colonel, wrote the retired general and asked about his "second family". Kielsmansegg wrote back saying his nephew would see Ryan soon in Arizona. Ryan received a call from Count Dr. Gunzel von der Schulenburg-Wolfsburg, the nephew. A couple of hours later, he and Kielslmansegg's daughter were at Ryan's home with the Mercedes, which they presented on behalf of the 32 children who were hiding in the castle.Ryan had a little something for them, too. The dagger, that once carried by Frederick the Great. It was the German family's last remaining heirloom. The Russians had destroyed all of their other treasures when they occupied the castle.

Residence:
Listed in sisters obit as Col. Tom of Tuscon, AZ.

Occupation:
Thomas A. Ryan was an attorney in the Judge Advocates Office of the U.S. Army. He retired from the Army and set up private p ractice in Arizona.

Death Record - Civil:
SSDI Died 2/04/1989 in 85704 Tucson, Pima, AZ THOMAS RYAN SSN 3 02-07-7982 Residence: 85704 Tucson, Pima, AZBorn 10 May 1911 Last Benefit: Died 4 Feb 1989 Issued: OH (Before 1 951)

Obituary:
Missing.
Date: 8/21/2001 5:05:52 PM Pacific Daylight Time From: Prickly@ci.tucson. az.us (Prickly Library)Dear Jay,I was unable to find an obit for Thomas Ry an. I looked through obituaries for the Arizona Daily Star 2/4-2/13, 19 89 and the Tucson Citizen 2/4-2/11, 1989.-Ingrid

Thomas married Sheehan, Katherine 7 Feb 1942, Memphis, Shelby, Tennessee, USA. Katherine was born 2 Apr 1914, Memphis, Shelby, Tennessee, USA; died 4 Feb 1990, Tucson, Pima, Arizona, USA; was buried , ?, Unknown Location. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Occupation: Bef 9 Nov 1986; Unknown
• Obituary: Aft 9 Nov 1986
• Death Record - Civil: 19 Nov 1986

Notes:

Occupation:
Unknown

Obituary:
Missing text or image.

Death Record - Civil:
Online Calif Death indexRYAN KATHERINE H 02/23/1943 SHEEHAN F TENNESSEE LOS ANGELES(19) 1 1/19/1986 228-58-8200 43 yrs

Katherine married Unknown, Rick "Ryan" [Group Sheet]

Claire married Ratfield, Edward Terry [Group Sheet]

Dennis married Castro, Connie [Group Sheet]

Robert married Unknown, Carla [Group Sheet]