Holden, Melvin B. 1922-1945

HOLDEN, MEYERS, BOWERS, THURN

Posted By: IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 6/8/2009 at 19:47:14

Elkader (Special) - The body of S/Sgt. Melvin Holden, 22, will arrive in Elkader Thursday accompanied by an Army escort and funeral services will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Witt funeral Chapel with Rev. D.W. Tolson, pastor of the Church of Our Redeemer, in charge. Members of local chapters of the V.F.W. and the American Legion as well as those from adjoining towns will attend in a body. The remains will be escorted to East Side cemetery where military service will be held. This is the first of Clayton county's war dead to be returned from overseas. The body arrived in San Francisco Feb 11. All business places in Elkader will be closed during the services.

He was born Mar. 3, 1922, son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Holden, Elkader, and enlisted in the Army May 28, 1940. His basic training was taken at Fort Riley, Kans., and he was sent overseas Oct. 16, 1943. He was killed in the line of duty as a mess sergeant in an amphibious training center Feb. 9, 1945, and was buried in the Oshu Schofield Barracks temporary military cemetery in Hawaii. He was married in Austin, Tex., August 11, 1942. He is survived by his wife, who still lives in Austin; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Albert B. Holden, Elkader, six sisters, Mrs. Illene Meyers, Independence, Mrs. Elinor Bowers, Elkader, Mrs. Shirley Thurn, Edgewood, and Helen, Shelby and Marilyn at home; two brothers, Albert Jr., Glendale, Calif. and Jackie at home.

~Oelwein Daily Register, March 10, 1948

Photo accompanied another obituary in the Clayton County Register, Feb 22, 1945; pg 1

Clayton Obituaries maintained by Sharyl Ferrall.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen