In 1937, Jerome was injured in an auto accident on U.S. Route 20 at Fremont, Oh., together with siblings Bernadette, Joseph and Robert. Jerome incurred cuts and bruises. The Farabaughs were injured “when a hit skip motorist struck the new auto operated by R.J. Gerhardstein of Bellevue and knocked it into the highway in front of Rainbow Gardens.” The Farabaughs were evidently riding in the Gerhardstein car at the time.

In March of 1942, Jerome was charged with running a red light in Hammond, Ind., and received a suspended fine. His address was reported to be 452 Maryland St., Gary, Ind.

Jerome was a casualty of WWII. His enlistment records indicate that he was inducted on May 11, 1942, in Indianapolis, Ind., and that he had four years of high school education and was semiskilled in electroplating, galvanizing and related processes. He served as a Private First Class in the Army Air Force, 15th Airdrome Squadron, 321st SV Grp. A set of squadron historical documents archived for June of 1944 summarizes the Squadron’s construction activity on Los Negros Island (3rd largest of the Admiralty Islands). They explain and depict the completion of a mess hall, bath house, post exchange and latrine, with two functioning air strips supporting the use of nine B-24 Bombers. The personnel report counts 11 officers and 265 enlistees and then relates:

“Pfc. Jerome W. Farabaugh a member of the Armament section, while working in the shop was fatally wounded when an explosive he was handling exploded. All personnel not on necessary duty attended the military funeral and burial. His loss is deeply felt by members of the organization, as the deceased had been with the organization since activation.”

In a comprehensive local war casualty listing published in the Hammond Times in 1946, Jerome was listed as a Pfc. who died in a non-battle incident.