Falk, Lt. Elvit 1920-1945

FALK, BERKENPAS

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, Volunteer (email)
Date: 3/18/2010 at 16:43:25

LeMars Sentinel
January 19, 1945

ELVIT FALK DIES IN FLIGHT OVER FRANCE, JANUARY 1
Has Been in Europe Since Last August

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Falk of Elgin township were notified by the War Department Monday, January 15, that their son, Lt. Elvit Falk, had been killed over France, January 1. Elvit was a co-pilot on a B-26 bomber with the Ninth Air Force.

Lt. Falk entered the service on September 21, 1942, and received his training at Victory Field, Vernon, Texas. He was sent to Ireland in August of last year and from there was sent to France.

Elvit was born in Plymouth County in May, 1920, and attended school in LeMars where he graduated from high school in 1939. He was married June 27, 1942, to Dorothy Berkenpas, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jake Berkenpas, of Seney, who with a two year old son, Robert Dwayne, survives him. He is also survived by his parents and one sister, Jean, at home.

Prior to entering the service, Lt. Falk was a welder in the shipyards at Berkeley, California.
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LeMars Globe-Post
January 22, 1945

MEMORIAL SERVICES AT SENEY FOR LIEUT. ELVIT WAYNE FALK

Memorial services for Lt. Elvit Wayne Falk will be held at the Seney Methodist church on Wednesday, January 24, at 2 p.m. Commander C. B. Plummer and an honor guard of the American Legion will be there and will present an official American flag to the family.

Elvit Wayne Falk was born May 17, 1920, and was killed in action over France January 1, 1945. He attended grade school at Elgin No. 5 and graduated from the LeMars high school with the class of ’39.

On June 27, 1942, he was united in marriage to Miss Dorothy Berkenpas at Reno, Nev.

Prior to his enlistment in the air corps on Sept. 21, 1942, he was employed at a shipyard in Richmond, Calif.

He received his primary training at Vernon, Texas. Basic at Garden City, Kansas, and his advanced training at Altus, Okla., and was graduated March 2, 1944 and received his commission as second lieutenant and his silver wings. He arrived overseas the middle of August and received additional training in Ireland. He was co-pilot on a B-26 (Marauder bomber.) At the time of his death he was based in France.

Besides his wife and two year old son, Robert Duane, he leaves to mourn his loss his parents and sister, Jean, besides a host of other relatives and friends.
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LeMars Globe-Post, Jan. 25, 1945

HOPE ARISES THAT LIEUT. ELVIT FALK MIGHT BE ALIVE

Memorial services which were to be held for Lieut. Elvit Falk at Seney were cancelled when members of his family received letters from Mrs. Robert Fowler, Chadron, Ohio, mother of a gunner on the plane which Lieut. Falk was co-pilot; Mrs. D. L. Morse, Buenopark, Calif., mother of an engineer, and Mrs. Garth, mother of a gunner.

These relatives of crew members wrote that they had been informed by the War Department of their sons’ deaths, only to get letters a little later from the boys themselves saying they were alive and in a hospital.

The letters from the crewmen expressed the hope that “the original messages had been corrected, indicating that they knew a mistake had been made. Lt. Falk was not mentioned, but in view of the fact that they other crew members had been falsely reported to be dead, there seems to be a good chance that the report of Lieut. Falk’s death may prove to be an error, too.
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LeMars Sentinel
January 30, 1945

FINAL WORD RECEIVED BY LETTER SATURDAY

Final word has been received by Mr. and Mrs. Frank Falk of Elgin township, informing them of the death of their son, Lt. Elvit Falk, in a flight over France on January 1.

They were informed of this tragedy several weeks ago but last week received further word stating the possibility that he might still be alive. However, another letter received on Saturday stated that the pilots in the flight went down with the plane.

Memorial services will be conducted Sunday afternoon, February 4, at 2 o’clock, at the Methodist church in Seney. Rev. James Lombard will have charge of the services.
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LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel
February 6, 1945

MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR LT. ELVIT FALK
Killed In Flight Over France

Memorial services were held at the Methodist church in Seney, Sunday afternoon for Lt. Elvit Falk, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Falk of Elgin township. Rev. James Lombard was in charge of the services.

Lt. Falk was killed over France, January 1. He was a co-pilot on a B-26 bomber with the Ninth Air Force. He entered the service on September 21, 1942, and received his training at Victory Field, Vernon, Texas. He was sent to Ireland in August of last year and from there was sent to France.

A large group of members of Wasmer Post attended the services and C. B. Plummer, Legion Commander, presented the flag to Mrs. Elvit Falk. Special music was furnished by the Seney quartet, Frank Becker, Harry DeYoung, M.J. Lancaster and Clarence Reeves. Stanley Tindall sang a solo.

Lt. Falk is survived by his widow, a 2-year-old son, Robert Dwayne, his parents, and one sister, Jean.

Plymouth Obituaries maintained by Linda Ziemann.
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