Ila Mae Austin was inducted into the Wac Apr. 9 and will leave for Ft. Des Moines Apr. 24 to begin six weeks of duty. She is a graduate of Shell Rock high and has taught in rural schools of the county. She has been employed at the John Deere Tractor Co in Waterloo the last year.
Source: Courier, Waterloo IA - April 20, 1945
Shell Rock - Pvt. Ila Mae Austin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas I. Austin, Shell Rock, has completed her basic training at First Women's army corps training center at Ft. Des Moines. Private Austin was graduated from Shell Rock high school in 1942 and completed her academic training at Iowa State Teacher's college, Cedar Falls in 1943. She formerly was employed at the John Deere tractor plant at Waterloo.
Source: Courier, Waterloo IA - June 27, 1945 (photo included)
Shell Rock -- Wac Ila Mae Austin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Austin, has finished her basic training at Ft. Des Moines and as been transferred to Orlando, Fla., where she will attend the statistic control school for six weeks. Out of her company only four were chosen for this work as it requires very high qualifications. After completing this course she will go to some air force command.
Source: The Courier, Waterloo IA - July 16, 1945
Miss Ila Mae Austin, 724 Randolph street, will become the bride of Thomas A. Doeden of Waterloo at 2 o'clock in the afternoon Mar. 16.
<excerpt>
Miss Austin was discharged from the Wac in October, 1946 and is now employed in the offices of Rath Packing Co.
Source: The Courier, Waterloo IA - March 5, 1947 (photo included)
Ila Mae Austin was born Apr. 3, 1925 to Thomas and Jennie Lahr Austin.
Ila served in World War II with the U.S. Army Air Corps 2nd Base Unit.
Source: ancestry.com
