WWII hero from Superior remembered in the Netherlands
Local historian Teddy Moranek discusses Mary Chapman, a Superior widow who worked as an organist for 25 years while raising seven children alone after her husband's death in 1925. Her youngest son Robert was killed in World War II during Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands in 1944, and a Dutch woman named Nora who cared for his grave developed a lifelong friendship with Mary that spanned decades and continents.
Summary
The episode explores the life of Mary Chapman, a remarkable woman from Superior, Wisconsin who became a widow in 1925 at age 25 with seven children to support. She worked for 33 years as an organist, initially at Saint Patrick's Church in Billings Park and later at Cathedral for 25 years, walking there daily year-round. She also played organ at weddings throughout Douglas County and could sing when needed. Her eldest son delivered newspapers with a route of 160 subscribers, and two of her sons later became Jesuits.
Mary's youngest son Robert Chapman was killed in action on October 1944 during Operation Market Garden, a major battle covered in the HBO series Band of Brothers (Episode 4: "Replacements"). Robert, who had worked for the FBI's fingerprinting department in Washington D.C. before enlisting, died at age 21 or 22 while attempting to help two wounded officers. He was awarded the Silver Star and received citations including one from the Queen of the Netherlands for his heroic actions.
Robert's body was not returned to Superior but was buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery, which contains over 8,000 U.S. casualties. Since 1945, Dutch citizens have voluntarily adopted graves to maintain them in perpetuity, passing the responsibility through generations or maintaining waiting lists. A Dutch woman named Nora began caring for Robert's grave, riding her bike 17 miles regularly despite lacking a car.
Mary and her sister traveled to Europe for two months, visiting Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, and finally Holland. They stayed with Nora for four days and established a deep friendship. The following year, Nora visited Mary in Superior and stayed with her, also visiting other American families whose sons she cared for. This correspondence occurred through letters, taking weeks to arrive in post-war Europe.
The transcript emphasizes the enduring gratitude of the Dutch people for American liberation from German occupation, their commitment to honoring fallen soldiers' graves for 80 years, and the meaningful human connection that developed between Mary and Nora across the Atlantic despite never having met before.
About this episode
<div> <p>In this month's episode of Archive Dive, Telegram reporter Teri Cadeau and local historian and retired librarian Teddie Meronek dive into the story of Robert Chapman and his mother Mary Chapman.</p> <p>For 25 years, Mary Chapman was the organist at <a href="https://superiorcatholics.org/our-parishes/catedral-of-christ-the-king/" id="m_2742049680622862060enhancement-41844780-7a4b-11f1-b62f-b5e508b8d240" rel="noopener" target="_blank"> Cathedral of Christ the King</a> church in Superior and walked there every day, year round. A mother of seven children, Mary Chapman was also a widow at a young age and experienced great loss again in October 1944 when her youngest son Robert was killed in action in the Netherlands during World War II.</p> <p>Private Robert Chapman was with the 320th Glider Field Artillery Battalion, a unit within the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division. Meronek said he was either 21 or 22 years old at the time of his death.</p> <p>"Apparently two of the officers in his unit had been shot and he went out and tried to help them and he got struck by a bullet while he was going out there to help him, but he stayed there. He tried to bandage them up and then he was carrying one of the men off the field and he died," said Meronek.</p> <p>After his death, Private Chapman was awarded the Purple Heart, Silver Star and the Bronze Lion decoration from the government of the Netherlands. His body was not brought back to Superior and he was buried in the Netherlands.</p> <p>But, that is not where the story ends. A woman named Nora Hodiamont in the Netherlands began taking care of Robert's grave. Similar to how Mary Chapman was devoted to her task by traveling by foot to play the organ, Hodiamont was devoted to her task too, traveling many miles by bike to tend to the grave of Robert Chapman, along with others who were buried in the <a href="https://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/about-netherlands-american-cemetery/" id="m_2742049680622862060enhancement-41846e93-7a4b-11f1-b62f-b5e508b8d240" rel="noopener" target="_blank"> Netherlands American Cemetery</a> in the village of Margraten.</p> <p>"She (Nora) loved her country because family was so important in all of this. She rode her bike 17 miles to take care of these graves."</p> <p>Mary Chapman and Hodiamont would eventually connect, first through letters and then in person. Almost a decade after Robert's death, an article appeared in the Telegram in 1953 highlighting Mary and Nora's friendship. Mary first visited Nora in the Netherlands and a year after that encounter, Hodiamont visited the U.S. and Mary.</p> <p>"It may seem small, but it really wasn't. Making sure a grave is taken care of - what a difference that made in people's lives. To know that somebody was taking care of it and it established a friendship too because of it. A friendship across the ocean."</p> <p>"She (Nora) would also put flowers on the grave, just like a mom would or a family member would take care of somebody's grave. She made sure that he (Robert) didn't miss that part since he was going to miss the rest of his life," Meronek added.</p> <p>Residents still care for the graves in the cemetery to this day.</p> <p>"The Dutch people were just so grateful that the Americans had come in and did what they did to help liberate the country," said Meronek.</p> <p>It isn't known when Hodiamont died, but Mary Chapman died in 1962 in Superior at the age of 69.</p> <p>"She didn't change the world or even the city or anything, but she gave. She gave her son and she still made her mark though. I like that," said Meronek.</p> <p>Other topics discussed in this episode:</p> <ul id="m_2742049680622862060gmail-rte-d57ffbf2-7a46-11f1-8a30-e18796751265"> <li> <p>Mary Chapman's double wedding in 1911.</p> </li> <li> <p>How Mary got her start as an organist and her other musical talents.</p> </li> <li> <p>The generations of Dutch people and their gratitude to those who helped liberate them.</p> </li> <li> <p>The option for deceased soldiers to return to the U.S. or remain buried in the Netherlands.</p> </li> <li> <p>Mary's trip to see Robert's grave and meet Nora.</p> </li> <li> <p>Operation Market Garden and how it was featured in the TV series Band of Brothers<strong> </strong></p> </li> <li> <p>Where did Robert work before he went into the service?</p> </li> <li> <p>And much more.</p> </li> </ul> <p><em>Episodes of "Archive Dive" are published monthly. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.</em> <a href="https://www.superiortelegram.com/podcasts/superior-telegram-archive-dive" id="m_2742049680622862060enhancement-4184bcb0-7a4b-11f1-b62f-b5e508b8d240" rel="noopener" target="_blank"> Episodes</a> <em>are edited and produced by Duluth Media Group digital producer Dan Williamson. If you have an idea that you'd like us to explore, email Teri Cadeau at <a href="mailto:[email protected]" rel="noopener" target="_blank">[email protected]</a>.</em></p> </div>
Key Insights
- The Dutch people established a permanent system in 1945 where citizens voluntarily adopt and maintain American soldiers' graves indefinitely, passing the responsibility through generations, with no grave left unattended for 80 years despite over 8,000 burials.
- Mary Chapman supported seven children alone after her husband died in 1925 by working as an organist for 33 years and playing at weddings throughout Douglas County, demonstrating how working-class women provided for families without modern social safety nets.
- Robert Chapman died at age 21 while attempting to rescue two wounded officers during a brutal battle where high command had incorrectly believed only elderly and children remained as opposition, contradicting expectations of an easy operation.
- A Dutch woman named Nora rode her bike 17 miles to maintain Robert's grave despite lacking a car, and when she visited America post-war, she expressed more amazement about American conveniences like refrigeration than about American culture, revealing the stark differences in living standards between post-war Europe and the United States.
- The friendship between Mary and Nora developed entirely through slow mail correspondence before modern communication, yet remained meaningful enough that Nora traveled across the Atlantic to visit Mary and other American families whose sons she cared for.
Topics
Transcript
Hello and welcome to Archivedive! I'm Teri Cadot, a reporter with the Superior Telegram. Each month, we dip into files on historic events, people, and places in Superior and Douglas County with local historians. Today we have the story about Mary Chapman, a young widow who was the organist for 25 years at Cathedral, who walked there every day year-round. In October of 1944, her son Robert was killed in action in World War II. His body was not brought back to Superior, and he was buried in the Netherlands. An article appeared a few years later in the Telegram about a woman in the Netherlands who was taking care of his grave. The two women, Mary and the woman…
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