Born 27 December 1906 in Butler County, Alabama
Died 29 January 1978
Buried at Magnolia Cemetery in Butler County, Alabama
From the Greenville Advocate, 30 August 1945
Two Greenville Boys Freed From Jap Prison In Manchuria. Clate Newton and
Winfred Brannon, prisoners of war of the Japanese since the fall of Corregidor on May 6, 1942, have
been liberated. Mrs. E.C. Brannon, who is the mother of Winfred and sister of Clate, received the
news Tuesday morning from the War Department. The telegrams stated simply that these two men were
on the list of those liberated at Mukden, Manchukuo, where they had been held for some time, having
been taken there from the Philippines. Clate was serving with one outfit, Winfred with another, but
the last letter received from either before they were captured, was dated Dec. 21, 1941, and in it
Winfred stated that he and Clate were together at Fort Mills. After the Philippines fell to the
Japs, neither was heard from for months, and then the War Department reported them as prisoners of
war. In September, 1943, cards were received from both Pfc. Newton and Pvt. Brannon. In June, 1944,
Winfred gave a brief message over a Jap propaganda radio broadcast, and in July, 1944, a second
card came from Winfred, and he stated that Clate is "O.K." At that time, he was at Hoten
Prisoner of War Camp, Manchukuo. The Ware Department stated Tuesday that the family would be
informed as soon as further details about the two Greenville men are available. Friends all over
Butler County are delighted to know that Clate and Winfred are safe and withstood the trials of
prison camp life in Japan and Manchukuo.
From the Montgromery Advertiser, 1 February 1978
Clate Newton, 71, a resident of 803 Government St., Greenville, died
Sunday January 29, 1978. He was a Deacon of Spring Hill Baptist Church. Funeral services will be
3:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 31 from Dunklin-Herdon Chapel with the Rev. Elmo Thompson and William
Koetle. Burial will be in the Magnolia Cemetery. Survivors include his widow, Mrs. Myrtle Till
Newton, Greenville; two sisters, Mrs. Fannie Cooper, Mrs. Glennie Jernigan, Greenville; one brother
Ben Newton, Thomaston, Georgia.
BACS1
Myrtle Arilla Till
Born 9 February 1904 in Butler County, Alabama
Died 29 November 1990
Buried at Magnolia Cemetery in Butler County, Alabama
Married 5 August 1948
