Baxter R. Hoffman, white, name on monument, Davie County, North Carolina

Baxter Robson “Tom” “Tommy” Hoffman, full name and nicknames

Birth: 9 August 1917

Death: 9 August 1944 (on his birthday)

Buried: Edgewood Cemetery, Lowell, Gaston County, North Carolina

Online birth record: Baxter Robson Hoffman, born 9 August 1917 in Davie County to M.L. and Mary Parker Hoffman

1920 US Census: 2 5/12, lived on Duke Street in Cooleemee with widowed mother, Nancy, and 5 siblings; the oldest child, Mary, 14, worked as a spinner at the cotton mill; the youngest child was M.L., Jr. 8/12

1930 US Census: 12, lived on Duke Street in Cooleemee with widowed mother, Nancy J. Hoffman, and 3 brothers; Paul R., 19, was roving man at cotton mill, and Frank J. was doffer at cotton mill; the Templeton family of 3 members boarded with them

1940 US Census: 23, living on South Broad Street, Winston-Salem, boarding with the Conrad family; transformer maker for public utilities

Enlistment: enlisted on 25 June 1941 at Fort Bragg, 1 year of high school, single

NARA Records, World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing for NC: SGT, KIA

WWII Veterans Interred Overseas: Sergeant, U.S. Army, 33rd Armored Regiment, 3rd Armored Division; Entered the Service from North Carolina; Died: 9 August 1944; Buried at Plot I, Row 5, Grave 9 at Brittany American Cemetery, St. James, France; Awards: Purple Heart

Undated newspaper article: “Cooleemee Soldier and Brother of Charlotte Man is Killed in Action”

“Sergt. Baxter R. Hoffman, the son of Mrs. M.L. Hoffman of Cooleemee and brother of R.E [Roy] Hoffman of Charlotte was killed in action in France on August 9, according to information received yesterday from the War Department. He was attached to a tank division.

“Sergeant Hoffman, Known to his friends as Tom, met death on the day that he was 27 years old. He was in an armored division. Before entering the service he was employed by the maintenance department of Duke Power Company.

“Surviving are his mother; one sister, Mrs. Fred Templeton of Cooleemee; and three brothers besides Mr. Hoffman of Charlotte. These brothers are Paul Hoffman of Cooleemee, Frank Hoffman of Dundolk, Md., and Sgt. M.L. Hoffman, Jr., now stationed at Herrington, Kan.”

The Davie Times, 6 September 1944: “Davie Soldier Killed. Sgt. Baxter R. Huffman (sic), of Cooleemee was killed in France on Aug. 9th. Sgt Hoffman was 28 years old, and was the 15th Davie Soldier to lose his life while fighting for his country in the present war.”

Tombstone photograph from FindAGrave.Com:

buried at Edgewood Cemetery, Lowell, Gaston County NC

Inscription of tombstone:

Baxter R. Hoffman

Aug. 9, 1917 9 August 1944

SGT 33rd Armor Division

World War II