41st Armored Infantry Regiment, 2nd Armored Division · Prisoner of War · Henry County, Kentucky
Sterling with his guitar, before the war. This photograph was restored by his
great-niece Fran Curtis and shared with the family in February 2026. It is the
portrait chosen for Dakota’s school Veterans Day tribute.
A keepsake for Dakota Woods, so he can know his great-great-uncle — a Kentucky
farm boy who went to war and never came home. Everything the family has gathered
about Sterling is here: his story, his service record, his own letter home, and
every photograph the family has found of him — all of them shown right here
on this page, so anyone can see them.
Kentucky Gold Star Veteran
His Story
Sterling Robert Edens was born on September 14, 1915, in Hancock County, Tennessee,
the son of William Sherman Edens and Frances Jane Louthan Edens. He was one of ten
children in a big mountain family. His older brother Kermit — Denny’s
grandfather — was born two years earlier, in 1913.
Sterling grew up in Hancock County, Tennessee, and by the time he was a young man the
family was rooted in Henry County, Kentucky. He went to grammar school and worked as
a civilian before the war. He was single, with no dependents.
On July 7, 1940 — more than a year before Pearl Harbor — Sterling walked
into Fort Knox, Kentucky, and enlisted in the United States Army. He was 24 years old.
He joined the Field Artillery in the Regular Army, signing up for service with the
Philippine Department. His Army serial number was 15041960.
He served through the whole of World War II. He rose to the rank of Private First
Class and was serving with the 41st Armored Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Armored
Division — “Hell on Wheels.” In the fall of 1944, during the
regiment’s fighting on the Siegfried Line, he was taken prisoner by the
Germans. He was held at Stalag 12A to 9B, a prisoner-of-war camp at Limburg an der
Lahn, in Germany.
Sterling did not live to see the peace. He died on March 28, 1945, in that POW camp
at Limburg an der Lahn — just days before the camp was liberated, and six
weeks before the war in Europe ended. He was 29 years old. The Army recorded his
casualty type as FOD — Finding of Death — because he had gone missing
and the Army did not learn of his death at the time. The Army’s Finding of
Death was dated October 28, 1945 — that is a paperwork date, not the day he
died. His grave marker, and the date the family honors, is March 28, 1945.
He is remembered as a Kentucky Gold Star veteran. His name is on the World War II
Memorial Registry, on the National Archives’ Honor List of dead and missing
Army personnel from Henry County, Kentucky, and on a monument in New Castle,
Kentucky, the Henry County seat.
Sterling never married and had no children of his own. But his family never forgot
him. Eighty years later, his nieces, nephews, and cousins still share his picture,
his records, and his letters in the Edens Cousins family group — and now his
great-great-nephew Dakota is carrying his name into his school’s Veterans Day
tribute.
24years old when he enlisted, 1940
5 yearsof service, 1940–1945
29years old when he died a POW
His Letter Home
A letter written by Sterling himself survives in the family. He wrote it on May 17,
1944, from England — just weeks before D-Day — to his brother and
sister-in-law. The letter had been kept by Jerry, and his daughter Jamie shared it
with the Edens Cousins group on December 19, 2023, where Fran Curtis posted it so
the whole family could read it. His words are below, spelled and punctuated exactly
as he wrote them.
Sterling’s letter read aloud — this is his real sepia portrait photograph, moving gently, with his words read in a Tennessee voice. The photo is really him; only the audio was added. This is not AI video of Sterling.
Sterling’s letter home, read aloud — his real
sepia studio portrait in uniform, cap on and hands folded, moving slowly while
the whole letter of May 17, 1944 is read all the way through. His words are
written out in full below.
Page I
May 17, 1944
England.
Dear Bro. + Sis.
Just thought I would write you a few lines. How are you all by now? I am sort of
worried. This is my 2nd. letter Ive written you and as yet recived no Answer. I
guess every Thing is as usual around pendleton. I sure would like to see you
folks. Say I’m going to send you a copy of my will today. I afraid I will
wear it out Carrying it around with me all the time. Say is Hawkins still living
around pendleton, and what ever became of J. D.? Tell Bill I ans. his letter quite
some time, ago I got a letter from your girl Imogene, a while ago.
Page II
Her Address is. Imogene Edens, R.1, Berryville Virginia. Imogene was allways my
favorite of all your Children. I also got a letter from my aunt Parker. She said
she had not heard from me. Tell every body hello for me. So suret hoping to hear
from you. soon.
As I am allways,
your Bro. Sterl.
About this letter
He was worried because he hadn’t heard back — this was his second
letter with no answer. And he was sending a copy of his will home because he was
afraid of wearing it out carrying it around with him. He was 28 years old.
Family members who commented on the post noted that the letter mentions
Imogene — Uncle Joe’s daughter, who was still living
as of December 2023 — and Michelle Fjellman Hess’s mother.
Notes on the reading: the day “17” in the date is faint;
“Ive” has no visible apostrophe; “recived” is spelled as
written; on page II the phrase reads most likely “aunt Parker,” though
the handwriting is not certain; “suret” is written as shown and
appears to mean “sure.” A few small letters are ambiguous in
Sterling’s cursive, and the word “me” at the end of
“Carrying it around with me” sits on a fold.
The letter itself was shared in the original post in the private Edens Cousins
group on Facebook.
Service Record
Full name
Sterling Robert Edens (recorded as “Sterling R Edens” in Army records; one family photo caption calls him “Robert Sterling Edens”)
Born
September 14, 1915, Hancock, Tennessee
Died
March 28, 1945, Stalag 12A to 9B, Limburg an der Lahn, Germany (POW camp) — days before the camp was liberated
Age at death
29
Hometown
Henry County, Kentucky
Branch
United States Army — enlisted in the Field Artillery, Regular Army; serving with the 41st Armored Infantry Regiment, 2nd Armored Division, when he was captured
Enlisted
July 7, 1940, Fort Knox, Kentucky
Army serial number
15041960
Rank at enlistment
Private
Final rank
Private First Class (PFC)
Enlistment term
Enlistment for the Philippine Department
Years of service
1940–1945
Marital status
Single, without dependents (at enlistment)
Education
Grammar school
Prisoner of war
Yes — held at Stalag 12A to 9B, Limburg an der Lahn, Germany
Casualty type
FOD — Finding of Death (declared a casualty of World War II). The Army’s Finding of Death was dated October 28, 1945 — a paperwork date, not the day he died.
His Awards
Purple Heart
World War II Victory Medal
American Campaign Medal
Army Presidential Unit Citation
Army Good Conduct Medal
As listed on HonorStates.org, which notes the list may not be complete or fully
accurate and that some awards are estimated from known service details.
Honors & Memorials
Kentucky Gold Star Veterans Gallery
World War II Memorial Registry (American Battle Monuments Commission) — U.S. Army, Henry County, Kentucky
National Archives WWII Honor List of Dead and Missing Army Personnel from Kentucky — Henry County entry: Sterling R Edens, 15041960, PFC, FOD
On the courthouse lawn in New Castle, the Henry County seat, stands a gray stone
cut in the shape of Henry County itself. It carries the names of the 85 Henry
County men who gave their lives in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and
the Vietnam War — and in the World War II list, carved in the stone, is
Sterling’s name. The monument was unveiled on May 10, 1989. These
photographs were shared with the family by Fran Curtis in the Edens Cousins group,
and the 1989 newspaper clippings come from the Henry County Local.
“In memory of the men of Henry County
who gave their lives
in the defense of our country”
His name in the stone. The sharpest close-up of the name list,
shared by Fran Curtis in May 2017. Read down the middle: EDENS, STERLING
R. — between Druin and England, in the World War II names.
The whole stone. The full monument on the courthouse lawn in
New Castle, photographed May 18, 2014. The stone is shaped like Henry County,
with the names arranged by war — World War I, World War II, the Korean
War, Vietnam, and Desert Shield.
Veterans Day, 2018. The monument during the memorial service
on the courthouse lawn, November 11, 2018 — the 100th anniversary of the
end of World War I. A reenactor stands guard beside a poppy wreath, and
Sterling’s name is readable on the stone at the right. Photograph from
the Henry County Local, shared by Fran Curtis.
The 2018 service, wider view. The whole stone during the
Veterans Day service hosted by the Bland Ballard Chapter on November 11, 2018,
with the wreath at its base.
The unveiling — May 10, 1989
The monument was unveiled on the courthouse lawn on May 10, 1989, before the
families and friends of the 85 men named on it. The Henry County Local covered the
unveiling, and the paper shared these clippings again in a throwback post in May
2019 — thirty years on.
“More than just a monument”
The Local’s main clipping from the unveiling: DAV members Morris Louden,
left, and Jim Eldridge pull the cover from the stone on the courthouse lawn.
The article notes the monument is shaped in the form of Henry County and
scripted with the 85 names of Henry Countians who died defending the country.
Henry County Local, May 1989 · Photographs by Andy Ivers
Beside the new monument
Four DAV members pose proudly with the new monument in front of the courthouse.
Left to right: Frank Wheeler, treasurer; Sam Booher, Commander; Jim Eldridge,
Adjutant; and Morris Louden. The inscription and the columns of names —
Sterling’s among them — are visible on the stone between them.
Henry County Local, May 1989 · Photograph by Andy Ivers
The families came to pay homage
The crowd at the unveiling, seen from behind two uniformed DAV members.
“Family and friends of the 85 Henry County men who died in World War I,
World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, came to pay homage to their
sacrifices.”
Henry County Local, May 1989 · Photograph by Andy Ivers
The Family — How Sterling Connects to Dakota
William Sherman Edens(1872–1967)
& Frances Jane Louthan Edens(1876–1967)
Ten children, including:
Kermit Elijah Edens(1913–1978)
— married Hazel Rebecca Hopkins(b. 1919) on August 1, 1935
Barbara Edens Woods— Denny’s mother
& Robert Woods— Denny’s father
Denny Woods
Dakota Woods— 11th grade, class of 2028
Sterling Robert Edens(1915–1945)— Kermit’s brother
Sterling is Kermit Elijah Edens’ brother.
Sterling is Barbara Edens Woods’ uncle — her father’s brother.
Sterling is Denny Woods’ great-uncle.
Sterling is Dakota Woods’ great-great-uncle.
Kermit and Loren, 1945. Sterling’s brothers Kermit and
Loren, out in a field with their rifles and a small dog — a hunting
photograph. The family post does not say which of the two men is Kermit.
The family in the 1970s. Hazel is front and center in the
striped dress, with her daughter Barbara — Denny’s mother —
front left. Darrell and Boyce stand in the back row. Posted by Denny’s
aunt, Anita Carol Westrick — Kermit and Hazel’s daughter and
Barbara’s sister.
Aunt Nan and Uncle Bill Jones. Sterling’s sister Nannie
Elizabeth — Aunt Nan — with her husband Bill, in their later years.
Hazel and Kermit — originals and remastered
Denny’s grandparents, shown here in the photographs themselves —
each original beside its remastered version. No other versions are shown here.
Hazel — the 1970s family photograph
OriginalHazel, original. The 1970s family photograph as it has
come down to the family — Hazel front and center in the striped
dress, Barbara front left.
RemasteredHazel, remastered. The same 1970s photograph, cleaned up
and sharpened — Hazel in her striped dress, Barbara at front left,
with Darrell and Boyce in the back row.
Kermit — Pendleton, early 1950s
Original · Black & WhiteKermit, original. The black-and-white Pendleton photograph
from the early 1950s, as it survives — Kermit is third from the left,
in a light shirt and brown trousers, with Loren, Morgan, and Clyde among the
men beside him.
RemasteredKermit, remastered. The same Pendleton photograph, cleaned
up and brought into color — Kermit third from the left, in his light
shirt and brown trousers.
The grandparents
Kermit Elijah Edens — Denny’s grandfather. Born
December 20, 1913, in Hancock, Tennessee, son of William Sherman and Frances Jane
Louthan Edens. Married Hazel Rebecca Hopkins on August 1, 1935. Lived in Civil
District 9, Hancock, Tennessee for about 20 years, and in White Shoals District,
Lee County, Virginia for about a year. Died in August 1978 in Claiborne, Tennessee,
at age 64. The family group holds his marriage certificate and marriage license to
Hazel, and a 1945 photograph of Kermit with his brother Loren.
Hazel Rebecca Hopkins Edens — Denny’s grandmother.
Born July 10, 1919. Her maiden name was Hopkins — the family
name Denny remembered may have been Hopkins before Edens comes from Hazel’s
side. She married Kermit on August 1, 1935. Her birth certificate is shared in the
family group. A 1970s family photograph shows Barbara Edens Woods in the front row
with her mother Hazel.
The wider family
William Sherman Edens and Frances Jane Louthan Edens had ten children: Clyde Dewey,
Joseph Thomas (“Joe”), Bonnie Belle, Simeon Patton
(“Pat”), Della Matilda, William Morgan, Herbert Loren, Nannie
Elizabeth, Kermit Elijah, and Sterling Robert (“Sterl”). The Edens
Cousins Facebook group — 162 members, a private family group — is made
up of their descendants, sharing old photos, memories, and family lore. Fran Curtis
is the group’s admin and the keeper of much of the Sterling material.
The Photographs
Every picture of Sterling the family has found is shown on this page — the
photographs themselves, right here, so anyone can see them whether or not they
belong to the family’s Facebook group. Most were shared in the Edens Cousins
group, and each one keeps a link back to its post there. A few of the photographs
have also been turned into short AI-generated animations, shown with the picture
and labelled as such — they are animations made from still photographs,
not real video footage.
AI-generated animation of this portrait — created by AI from a still photo. This is not real video footage.
The restored portrait. Posted by Fran Curtis, February 7, 2026.
She had an old picture of Uncle Sterling restored, and it came out beautifully
— this is the portrait being used for Dakota’s Veterans Day tribute.
The original. The same photograph before restoration —
badly scratched and faded after eighty years. This is what Fran started with.
Sterling as a young Private
A studio portrait of Sterling in uniform as a Private, seated with his hands folded.
Posted by Fran Curtis, November 9, 2022 · Caption: “PVT Robert Sterling Edens.”
Not a group photograph but a family tree poster — oval portraits of the
family set on a painted tree. As captioned: top row, left to right —
Uncle Sterling, Uncle Kermit, Aunt Nan, and Loren (Fran’s dad); second
row — Aunt Bonnie, Uncle Pat, Uncle Morgan; third row — Uncle Joe,
Uncle Clyde, and Aunt Della; and in the large oval at the base, William Sherman
and Frances Jane Louthan Edens. Sterling’s portrait is the one at top
left — the only picture found that brings him together with his parents
and all his brothers and sisters.
Posted by Fran Curtis, October 4, 2022
AI-generated animation of this poster — created by AI from a still photo. This is not real video footage.
Sterling’s flat military grave marker. It reads: Sterling R Edens,
Tennessee · PFC, 41st Armored Infantry · World War II ·
September 14, 1915 — March 28, 1945.
Shared by Dora Schillizzi-Atkinson, May 24, 2026, in a Memorial Day tribute thanking the family who gave all
The sepia studio portrait of Sterling in uniform, seated with his hands
folded. Fran shared this same photograph with the group three separate
times, so it is shown here once, with all three posts below.
Posted by Fran Curtis on May 21, 2024, November 4, 2023, and May 15, 2023
Sterling’s FamilySearch page — shared by Fran Curtis,
February 2, 2024. Birth September 14, 1915, Hancock, Tennessee; death listed
there as October 28, 1945, Stalag 12A to 9B — the Army’s Finding
of Death paperwork date, not the day he died (March 28, 1945).
View post
Sterling’s WWII Army enlistment record — shared by
Fran Curtis, January 30, 2023 (FamilySearch record, citing the National Archives
Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, NARA NAID 1263923).
View post
Sterling’s enlistment record summary — shared by Fran
Curtis, November 11, 2021.
View post
Fran’s note — February 10, 2026, in reply to Dora:
she holds a lot of information on Uncle Sterling, and searching his name in the
group brings it all up.
View post
These photographs were gathered from the Edens Cousins group on
Facebook — a private family group of 162 members, descendants of William
Sherman and Frances Jane Louthan Edens. They are shown here on this page so the
whole family can see them, whether or not they are in the group.
Visit the Edens Cousins group
Sources
Edens Cousins Facebook group (private, 162 members; descendants of
William Sherman and Frances Jane Louthan Edens) — Fran Curtis, admin. All
family posts above are from this group.
facebook.com/groups/223069647753090
Henry County Local (Eminence, Kentucky) — the monument
photographs and the 1989 unveiling clippings above: the paper’s Veterans
Day post of November 11, 2018, shared into the Edens Cousins group by Fran
Curtis, and its May 2019 throwback post with the clippings of the May 10, 1989
unveiling.
Henry County Local — November 11, 2018 post
U.S. WWII Army Enlistment Records, 1938–1946 (FamilySearch,
citing the National Archives Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, NARA NAID
1263923) — Sterling R Edens, enlisted July 7, 1940, Fort Knox, Kentucky.
