WW II
Wayne Brause
Wayne Brause was born in Lykens, Ohio, on January 13, 1923, to parents William and Esther Brause. In 1942, he graduated from Sulphur Springs High School where he then went on to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corp., serving until 1945.
Originally shipped out to Sand Diego, Brause spent time all over the world, including the South Pacific, French Samoa, Guadalcanal, New Zealand and Tarawa in 1943, Saipan in 1944, and Okinawa and Nagasaki in 1945.
After being honorably discharged from the Marine Corp. on December 25, 1945, at the rank of Corporal, Brause came home to Ohio. He married his wife Clara Shillinger on Sept. 29, 1946, and they now have three children, Cynthia, Edward and James and three grandsons.
Throughout his professional career, Brause held several positions before retiring as the State of Ohio Director for ODOT in 1980. These positions included farming, Galion Iron Works, Farm Bureau Lumber Yard, Bucyrus Implement Co. owner, State of Ohio Engineering Service Director and Crawford County Road Superintendent.
On top of his busy schedule, Brause became involved in several community activities, taking on the role of president in three separate organizations, Kearsley Elementary PTA, Crawford County Fair Board and Bucyrus Shrine Club, as well as commander of the American Legion. He also became a member of the VFW, AMVETS and the Worthy Patron of Bucyrus Chapter #3 of the Eastern Star.
Since the conclusion of Brause’s service he has received three prestigious awards, the State of Ohio Department of Transportation Appreciation Award, Crawford County Democrat of the Year Award and Ed DeVol Distinguished Service Award, by Crawford County Democrats.
