Evinger, Lt. Homer Ralph (Died 1944)

EVINGER, MEHLMAN, PEARSON, STEINMETZ, VETTER, SMITHER, TURNER, KAHN, SMITH, HANSEN, WHITE, SCOULAR, RUHS, SCARLETT

Posted By: Jan Paulsen (email)
Date: 6/18/2012 at 23:29:11

Last Rites Held For Lt. Evinger
Burial Takes Place in Anita Evergreen Cemetery

The war seemed very close to Anita the past week when the body of Second Lieutenant Homer Ralph Evinger, 24 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Alabert Evinger, was brought home under the military escort of Second Lieutenant Joseph Kahn. Lt. Evinger was killed in an air crash at March Field, Calif., on Feb. 13 and the body arrived here Saturday morning.

Several hundred persons attended the mlitary funeral services Sunday afternoon at the Congregational church. The service was in charge of American Legion Post No. 210 and the Legion Auxilary also attended the body.

Rev. Frank E Henry, pastor of the church, preached the short funeral sermon in which he stressed this hope--that “Our town and our nation be worthy of the sacrifices these boys are making for us.” Rev. Henry was assisted by Rev. Butts, pastor of the Massena Methodist church and Richard Hudson, pastor of the Anita Christian church.

Mrs. John Mehlman, Mr. and Mrs Weimar Pearson, and Mrs. Guy Steimetz were in charge of the flowers. Mrs. Joe Vetter and Mrs. George Smither, accompanied by Mrs. Eric H. Osen, sang “Going Down the Valley,” and “Now the Day is Over.”

Pallbearers were W. T. Biggs, Floyd Dement, Ben Brodersen, Guy Stienmetz, George Smither and WM. Linfor. Burial was in the Anita Evergreen cemetery where George Smither acted as Chaplain and Rex Turner, a Boy Scout, blew Taps. George Smither and Wm. Linfor removed and folded the flag from the casket and Smither gave the flag to Lt. Joseph Kahn. Lt Kahn then presented the flag to Mrs. Evinger.

Before departing, Lt. Kahn presented Mrs. Evinger the Silver Wings that Ralph had earned.
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Among those here from out of town to attend the funeral services Sunday afternoon for Second Lieutenant Homer Ralph Evinger, were Mr. and Mrs. Joe Smith of Mobile, Ala.; Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Smith and family of Omaha; Cpl. Harry Burt Smith of Camp Pickett, Va,; Mrs. Burt Smith of Omaha; Mr. and Mrs. Irving Hansen of Omaha; Mr. and Mrs. M. C. White and daughter and granddaughter of Casey; Mrs. Murry Scoular of Carlisle; Miss Kittie Smith of Des Moines; Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Ruhs and Leste Ruhs of Audubon and Mr. and Mrs. Lafe Morrison of Casey and Mr. and Mrs. B. L. Scarlett and son of Atlantic.
(Photo also included)
The Anita Tribune
Anita, Iowa
Thursday, February 24, 1944
Front Page