Oliver Junior Shearer (1918 - 1944)

CARVER, MCINTIRE, SHEARER, TORRY

Posted By: Jerry Hale (email)
Date: 12/5/2007 at 10:38:48

COLLINS GAZETTE 1944

FORMER NEVADA BOY KILLED IN ACTION IN ITALY

Collins, March 15 - Relatives here have been in receipt of official word from the War Department advising them of the death of Oliver Shearer, Jr., of the 133rd U.S. Infantry

who was killed in action in the Italian sector on Feb. 15. The department advised the next of kin that more information would follow.

Shearer, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Shearer, lived in Nevada as a boy and attended the Nevada schools. He was with the first army contingent to land in Ireland about two years ago. Relatives had heard from him from Italy as late as the last of January.

He is survived by his brother, Keith, of the U.S. Air Corps, who is stationed at Scott Field, Ill., and a sister, Marjorie, born in Nevada, who has made her home with her aunt Mrs. Jess Lou Torry in Collins. He is a grandson of L. D. Shearer of Collins.

The father, Oliver Shearer, Sr., former Nevada barber, passed away last September and the mother seven or eight years ago. He is also survived by a number of other relatives.

NEVADA JOURNAL MAY 1944

RECEIVES PURPLE HEART POSTHUMOUSLY

Special to Journal

Collins, May 4 - Margie Lou Shearer is in receipt of the Purple Heart medal which has been awarded posthumously to Oliver Junior Shearer, who was reported killed at Cassino, Italy February 15, 1944. Margie Lou and a brother Keith, of the army air corps, are the only immediate survivors of the late J. O. Shearer family.

COLLINS GAZETTE 7 JULY 1949

MILITARY FUNERAL SERVICES JULY 13 FOR JUNIOR SHEARER

Word was received yesterday that the body of Oliver Junior Shearer, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. J.O. Shearer, will arrive at Colo next Tuesday, July 12, at 1020 a.m., for reburial in Collins Evergreen cemetery.

The body will be brought to the John Torry home in Collins, and services will be held Wednesday afternoon at 2 o'clock in the Collins Methodist church.

Military graveside services will be in charge of the American Legion. Commander Forrest R. Pointer requests that business houses be closed during the services.

COLLINS GAZETTE 21 July 1949

Funeral services for First Sergeant Oliver Junior Shearer, World War II veteran whose body had been returned from overseas, were conducted at the Collins Methodist church on Friday, July 15, at 2 o'clock, by the Rev. Louis H. Joslin.

The singers were Mrs. K. W. Tomlinson, Mrs. Ivan Mullihan and George Tiffany, with Mrs. Fred Mead, pianist.

In charge of the flowers were Mrs. Orville Smith and Mrs. Gerald Gilley.

Military rites at the graveside in Collins Evergreen Hill cemetery were in charge of Freland-Carver Post No. 81, Americal Legion.

Pallbearers were Forrest Lafferty, Hans Hanson, Wes McWherter, John Tiffany, Alvin Tiffany, Wayne Laughlin.

Other service men taking part in the funeral rites included Forrest Pointer, commander; Stanley Mitchell, adjutant; Floyd Oswalt, chaplain.

Color guard: Charles Kimberley, Harold Kimberley.

Color bearers: Wm. Stoneberg, Jack Fertig.

The firing squad: John Kingman, commander; Jack Stratton, Wm. Noring, Dean Partridge, Howard Pitcher, Chester Lillard, Dale Deal.

The usual three-gun salute was fired, and taps and echo by buglers Roberta and Dick Mohler of Maxwell.

First Sergeant Oliver Junior Shearer, son of the late J. Oliver and Ethel Carver Shearer, was born at Van Meter, Ia. Oct 26, 1918, and was killed in action in the battle of Cassino, Italy, on Feb. 15, 1944 at the age of 25 years, 3 months and 19 days.

Much of his boyhood was spent in Collins, where he finished the 11th grade of high school. He was graduated the following year from the West Waterloo high school and became an employee of the Rath packing company.

In 1939 he joined the National guard and entered the service of his country with a Waterloo guard company, going to Camp Claiborne, La., in February, 1941, for training. Later he was with the A.E.F. in Ireland and served in North Africa, Sicily and Italy.

He was preceded in death by his mother, father and two sisters.

He is survived by a brother, staff Sgt. Keith E. Shearer of Keesler Field, Biloxi, Miss.; a sister, Mrs. Erwin McIntire of Des Moines, Ia.; three nephews, a number of other relatives and many friends.

His tragic passing brought sadness to those near and dear to him, but he served his country gladly and made a lasting contribution to the cause of peace in the surrender of his life.