Pvt. Fred Plenge (?-1944)

PLENGE BEERMAN

Posted By: Alan Nicholson
Date: 7/7/2012 at 13:33:30

Sutherland Courier, 25 Nov 1948, p 1, Col. 6

Pfc. Fred Plenge Remains Being Returned for Burial

Mrs. Henry Litka Jr., has received word that the body of Pfc. Fred Plenge, who was killed in action in France September 15, 1944, is being returned to the United States for burial. Services are to be held at Ceylon, Minn.; the Plenges' former home, and re-interment will also be made there. No definite date for arrival of the body has been received by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Plenge of Ringstead, formerly of Paullina.

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Sutherland Courier, 23 Dec 1948, p 8, Col. 4

Mr. and Mrs. E. L. Nelson accompanied Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Nelson of Paullina to Ceylon, Minn., Sunday for the military funeral of Pvt. Fred Plenge, first Paullina youth killed in World War II.

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Sutherland Courier, 23 Dec 1948, p 10, Col. 2

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Litka Jr., accompanied Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Stearns of Paullina to Ceylon, Minn., Sunday to attend the funeral of Pvt. Fred Plenge.

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Memorial Services Held Thursday

Zion Lutheran Church Filled to Capacity at Service for Lt. Beerman and Pvt. Plenge

On Thursday evening, December 28, a Memorial Service was held at Zion Evangelical Lutheran church for Lt. Milan Beerman and Pvt. Fred Plenge, the first two men of the town of Paulina, who in this war have paid the supreme sacrifice.

Pvt. Fred Plenge, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Plenge, was born October 11, 1925, at Gridley, Iowa, and laid down his life for his country on September 15, 1944.

Lt. Milan Beerman, the son of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Beerman, was born March 18, 1922, at Paullina and gave his life for his country on September 21, 1944.

Both men served on the western front. The service, beginning at 8:00 o'clock in the evening, was attended by a throng of people which filed the church and overflowed into the basement of the church where a loudspeaker had been installed for the occasion. The American Legion attended in a body to pay their respects to these honored dead.

Hymns sung by the congregation during the service included: "Be Still My Soul." "Forever With The Lord," and "Love Divine, All Love Excelling." The anthem sung by the choir was entitled: "Be Thou Faithful Unto Death." Pastor Martin Peters chose Romans 8:31 39 as text for his sermon, speaking on the theme: "God's Children Are More Than Conquerors through Christ Jesus, their Lord.' At the end of the service the choir sang the prayer: "Hold Thou Thy Cross Before My Closing Eyes."

Paullina Times, Paullina, Iowa, January 4, 1945, p1

Added by jane austin 2/22/2016