Person:Harry Crilley (1)

Harry Van Crilley was born 6 Oct 1919 in Smithton, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States, the second son and third child of Albert Crilley and Sadie Hayes Albert Crilley and Sadie Hayes.

Childhood

A boy coming of age during the Great Depression, Harry's family was poor, but loving. His closest sibling and life long best friend was his younger sister, Doris. Harry and Doris played and went everywhere together. Harry was active in the cub scouts and would be in male social organizations his entire life. Their older siblings Anges and Ray would regularly take them to swim during the summer in the Youghiogheny River.

During Christmas, all the Crilley children (Person:Agnes Crilley (1),Person:Ray Crilley (1),Person:Harry Crilley (1),Person:Doris Crilley (1)) would visit several of the local churches (in and near Smithton) during their Christmas parties so that they could collect many treats and snacks from all of them. Each year the fireman gave out very nice gift backs with candy, apples, nuts, and other goodies to all the local children.

Adolescence

According to his sister Doris, adolescence was one of the happiest times for Harry, despite some challenges. He loved being a Boy Scout and it was there he first fell in love with one of the other boys. Harry was handsome and very popular with the other boys in the troop, getting along well and much loved by them. According to Doris, "Harry and I have always been close and he shared everything with me. Back then people thought of this as no lasting meaning, and it was very common and something they grew out of and you didn't talk about it. Most special to him was another boy who was his special friend, and his first love. Later, when Harry learned he died in W.W. II, he was depressed and inconsolable for many months." Harry struggled that his feelings towards other boys did not change, and the society at that time did not understand homosexuality in its current understanding.

Doris and Harry kept his feelings a secret. His sister Doris helped him get through it and he often looked back on this period of his life as the happiest.

Young Adulthood

After graduating high school, Harry worked for U.S. Steel as a metal fabricator. He was drafted and on 5 Sep 1942 he enlisted to serve in World War II as a private in the U.S. Army, advancing to Corporal and serving in the Military Police [1]. During the war he served primarily on prisoner ships, guarding captured Nazi soldiers from Europe who were being shipped back to the United States for lodging in prisoner of war camps.

He was a handsome and friendly young man and well liked, and after the war pressure mounted for him to marry. He did, but the marriage was an unhappy one and he quickly gained weight as his depression grew worse. Jealous of his closeness with his sister and friends, his wife demanded they move to Ohio; after the move and some time had passed, Harry confessed he was very lonely, missing his boyhood friends and family. She was very cold to him and suspicious of his past relationships, and gave him an ultimatum that he could move back, but she and the children would not be coming with him. He tried to make it work, but, at the point of near suicide, moved back home to Smithton. He left a wife and three children: Jan, Jill, and Jodey.

Middle Life

Harry worked for U.S. Steel in his adulthood and was known as a valuable employee and dependable colleague. His depression receded when surrounded by loving family once more. He loved his children all his life and being forced to give them up gave him a deep and life lasting sadness that was always with him. His ex-wife raised the children to hate him.

Harry was a member of Gummert Lodge 252 F&AM of Fayette City, the Uniontown Lodge of Perfection, the Syria Shrine and the Valley of Pittsburgh Scottish Rite.

Later Life

Though absence from his family of marriage brought him loneliness, Harry was able to have many good friendships later in life, and especially with his sister Doris. Later in life he suffered from urinary incontinence which greatly embarrassed him, but his nearby family was supportive and he knew he was loved and that they were proud of him. He died 2 Aug 2003, aged 83. Being a child of the Great Depression, he had hoarded and hid much money in his home. According to his will he gave everything to his estranged children, which his present family at death ensured happened with his wishes.

Harry brought out the best of people together.

Boy Scout Uniform

Boy Scout backpack

Backpack front:

Backpack back:

Boy Scout backpack contents, uniform

Boy Scout shirt:

Boy Scout breeches\pants:

Briefs underpants:

Socks:

Backpack, Swim briefs, Camp Shirt

Boy Scout Camp Shirt, 1937:

Drawing of Harry

Inside the left front pocket of his backpack was found a drawing.

Drawing inscription: Inscription from folded up drawing from Harry's Boy Scout backpack

"1932 Harry You are the quiver that holds all of our arrows— J."

Inside of drawing: Drawing of Harry by friend "J." Found inside pocket of Harry's Boy Scout backpack - 1930's Harry drying off feet in summer sun next to river, canoe, backpacks, campfire. In the distance are hills, trees, and cave, presumably where they explored for the day.

1.   Obituary, in Greensburg Tribune
   4 Aug 2003.

   https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/triblive-tribune-review/obituary.aspx?n=harry-v-crilley&pid=182319219

2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Memorial 7736187 , in Find A Grave
   9 Jul 2020.

   https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7736187/harry-v-crilley

3. ↑ United States. National Archives and Records Administration (ARC # 1263923). World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946. (2002).

   https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=1&cat=WR26&tf=F&sc=24994,24995,24996,24998,24997,24993,24981,24983&q=harry+v+crilley&bc=,sl,fd&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=3781760

4. ↑ 175144808, in Death Files 1936 - 2007
   9 Jul 2020.

   https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=3000&mtch=1&cat=all&tf=F&q=harry+v+crilley&bc=&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=3199795

5. ↑