Abel John ‘Abe' Tesdall was born Sept. 1917 to Lars and Anna Hauge Tesdall. He died Apr. 27, 2013 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Jewell, IA.
Abel served in the U.S. Army in World War II. In 1943 he went to Casablanca, Africa attached to the 899th Tank Destroyer Battalion, Co. A. He was shipped to Italy after the Germans were defeated in Africa. On “D” Day, June 6th, 1944 he landed with the 899th Tank Destroyer Battalion in the 17th wave on Utah Beach as a Tank Commander. He was awarded five Bronze Stars and also received the Normandy invasion citation from the French government.
His Obituary: South Hamilton Record News, Jewell, IA - May 1, 2013
Abel John Tesdall, 95, of Jewell, passed away Saturday, April 27, 2013 at the Israel Family Hospice House in Ames, Iowa.
Abel, the son of Lars and Anna (Hauge) Tesdall, was born September 4, 1917 in Rosendale, Iowa. He attended Story City Schools.
On February 4, 1941, he enlisted in the Army and was stationed in Fort Lewis, Washington, Camp Hood, Texas and Fort Dix, New Jersey. In December of 1943, he went to Casablanca, Africa attached to the 899th Tank Destroyer Battalion, Company A. He was shipped to Italy after the Germans were defeated in Africa.
On “D” Day, June 6, 1944 the 899th Tank Destroyer Battalion landed in the 17th wave on Utah Beach with Abel as a Tank Commander. Abel received five Bronze Stars and was discharged in June 1945. In July 1998, he received the Normandy invasion citation from the French government.
He was married to Shirley Chalma on September 20, 1941 in Seattle, Washington. Since Abel’s discharge from the Army, Abel and Shirley have farmed in the Randall/Jewell area. Abel was a faithful member of Bethesda Lutheran Church, Jewell; Jewell Lion’s Club and the American Legion Post #550.
Abel is survived by his wife Shirley; children: Janis (John) Heeren of Jewell, Iowa, Patricia (Ford, J.R.) Reynolds of Riverdale, Georgia, Greg (Ruthann) of Kearney, Nebraska, Marian (Rich) Olive of Story City, Iowa, and Julie (David) Lutjen of Jewell, Iowa; grandchildren: Jeff (Jodi) Heeren, Jay (Dena) Heeren, C.J. (Christine) Bowens, Nicole (Chris) Engelhardt, Michelle (Cory) Tjelmeland, Suzanne (Blair) Hansen, Justin (Kelsey) Lutjen, Bryce (Paige King) Lutjen, Jordan Lutjen and Doran Lutjen; 19 great grandchildren and four great great grandchildren, along with numerous nieces, nephews and neighbors.
He was preceded in death by parents and siblings. Giving in death as in life, Abel donated his body to Des Moines University.
Sources: ancestry.com
