WWII veteran's headstone closer to being placed

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Data from 70-year-old census provided new information that brings the mystery surrounding a veteran’s headstone one step closer to resolution.

A headstone bearing the name James Earl Bryant, which shows the man died in 1953, was never placed on the owner’s grave. 

Instead, it ended up in an Eight Mile man’s shed , and ultimately on the side of a church there for decades.

FOX10 News found out about the mysterious headstone from Richard Jolly who said he promised his father he would try to unite the headstone with the appropriate grave.

James Bryan saw our report and, even though the spelling of the name was different, he said it sounded like his uncle who died in a car accident in 1953.

Our own research turned up 1940 US Census records that list James E. Bryan and his family. The name in the federal census does not have a "T" at the end.

James Bryan said his grandparents obviously did not put the stone on the grave because of the misspelling.  However, Bryan is now working to have the stone corrected, so that his uncle can be honored at his final resting place for his service.  

FOX10 News Reporter Renee Dials will have an update on this story at 5 p.m.