Earnest H. Norquist
January 17, 1895 - November 18, 1956
Earnest was born to parents Gustafson and Christine (Lingwall) Norquist in Kewanee, of Henry County, Illinois where he became one of 11 children. The family moved to Armstrong, IA before settling near White, SD in 1914. Gustaf farmed and did some trucking hauling cattle to Sioux Falls. Earnest did not move to White until 1917.
Earnest enlisted in the U.S. Army on April 27, 1918 where attained the rank of Corporal in Company K of the 355th Infantry, serving at Argonne in France. He was honorably discharged on May31, 1918 when he then returned to White.
After the war, Earnest married Thora Thomsen and they had a home west of White where they farmed until 1932. Earnest and Thora had four children: Phyllis, Merle, Helen, and Donald. After they moved to town, Earnest was employed until 1941 working in the hardware store. He then went to work for South Dakota State University where he worked until he passed away in 1956.
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Company K 355th Infantry 89th Division
Per notes related to Earnest H. Norquist his division was involved in the Argonne offensive:
