Clarence Wayne DeTurk
April 28, 2018 at 2:21 a.m.
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He was born Aug. 24, 1919, in Fort Wayne, to Walter DeTurk and Terzah Alshouse DeTurk. On Aug. 19, 1943, he was married to Joan Lucille Couts, the mother of his children. She passed away on March 14, 1967. Clarence married Bernice Spigutz in 1968; she passed away in September 1992. On June 6, 2016, he married Dixie Walrath, who survives.
Clarence enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II and served from 1941 until his honorable discharge as a staff sergeant on Oct. 3, 1945. He belonged to Company L 152nd Infantry Unit, and they were called to active service on Jan. 17, 1941, and were sent to Camp Shelby, Miss. In 1942 they were stationed in Hawaii. Company L Local National Guard Unit was called into federal service on Jan. 17, 1943, and were again sent to Camp Shelby. They guarded Hawaii in 1942, then continued on to Buna, New Guinea and the Philippines. On January 1943 their unit made a surprise attack on Leyte, and moved up to Bataan to mount an attack on Zigzag Pass to Manilla. Clarence shared these memories and stated, “We had many casualties and this was later known as the Avenger of Bataan.” He was subsequently decorated with two Purple Hearts, and three Bronze Stars.
He worked as the postmaster for the Winona Lake post office. He was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church, Warsaw; a life member of American Legion Post 49, Warsaw; and a 63-year member as well as a charter member of the Lake City Lions Club. Clarence received the Lions Club Melvin Jones Award and the Lions Club International Award.
He always kept active and received the Russ Jacobson award for shuffleboard, and was a member of the Texas Shuffleboard Association, Rio Grande Valley Shuffleboard Hall of Fame and Western Rio Grande Valley Shuffleboard Hall of Fame.
Clarence traveled throughout the U.S. and internationally to play shuffleboard — Brazil, Australia, Japan and Canada. He was an excellent golfer and mentored a lot of golfers throughout his life.
He will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Dixie DeTurk, Winona Lake; three daughters: Marla (husband Lowell) Luce, Mission, Texas; Nelta (husband Jeff) Rose, Mentone; and Judy (husband Mike) Pruski, Poth; and two sons, Jerry (wife Darlene) DeTurk, Warsaw, and Ken (wife Betsy) DeTurk, Yucaipa, Calif. Also surviving are his step-son, Jim Spigutz, Warsaw; two stepdaughters, Dawn (husband Jeff) McIlroy and Richelle (husband John) Szegda, both of Mesick, Mich.; 17 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandsons; eight stepgrandchildren; six great-stepgrandchildren; and his brother, Lewis (wife Lily) DeTurk, Peru.
He was preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Joan Lucille DeTurk; second wife, Bernice Spigutz; one sister; and four brothers.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday, April 30, at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw.
His funeral service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 1, at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home and officiated by Pastor Ernie Troxell and Pastor Russell Simpson.
Burial will follow with a graveside service at Oakwood Cemetery, Warsaw, with full military rites conducted by American Legion Post 49, VFW Post 1126 and active duty members of the Army Honor Guard.
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Condolences may be sent at www.redpathfruthfuneralhome.com.
He was born Aug. 24, 1919, in Fort Wayne, to Walter DeTurk and Terzah Alshouse DeTurk. On Aug. 19, 1943, he was married to Joan Lucille Couts, the mother of his children. She passed away on March 14, 1967. Clarence married Bernice Spigutz in 1968; she passed away in September 1992. On June 6, 2016, he married Dixie Walrath, who survives.
Clarence enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II and served from 1941 until his honorable discharge as a staff sergeant on Oct. 3, 1945. He belonged to Company L 152nd Infantry Unit, and they were called to active service on Jan. 17, 1941, and were sent to Camp Shelby, Miss. In 1942 they were stationed in Hawaii. Company L Local National Guard Unit was called into federal service on Jan. 17, 1943, and were again sent to Camp Shelby. They guarded Hawaii in 1942, then continued on to Buna, New Guinea and the Philippines. On January 1943 their unit made a surprise attack on Leyte, and moved up to Bataan to mount an attack on Zigzag Pass to Manilla. Clarence shared these memories and stated, “We had many casualties and this was later known as the Avenger of Bataan.” He was subsequently decorated with two Purple Hearts, and three Bronze Stars.
He worked as the postmaster for the Winona Lake post office. He was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church, Warsaw; a life member of American Legion Post 49, Warsaw; and a 63-year member as well as a charter member of the Lake City Lions Club. Clarence received the Lions Club Melvin Jones Award and the Lions Club International Award.
He always kept active and received the Russ Jacobson award for shuffleboard, and was a member of the Texas Shuffleboard Association, Rio Grande Valley Shuffleboard Hall of Fame and Western Rio Grande Valley Shuffleboard Hall of Fame.
Clarence traveled throughout the U.S. and internationally to play shuffleboard — Brazil, Australia, Japan and Canada. He was an excellent golfer and mentored a lot of golfers throughout his life.
He will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Dixie DeTurk, Winona Lake; three daughters: Marla (husband Lowell) Luce, Mission, Texas; Nelta (husband Jeff) Rose, Mentone; and Judy (husband Mike) Pruski, Poth; and two sons, Jerry (wife Darlene) DeTurk, Warsaw, and Ken (wife Betsy) DeTurk, Yucaipa, Calif. Also surviving are his step-son, Jim Spigutz, Warsaw; two stepdaughters, Dawn (husband Jeff) McIlroy and Richelle (husband John) Szegda, both of Mesick, Mich.; 17 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandsons; eight stepgrandchildren; six great-stepgrandchildren; and his brother, Lewis (wife Lily) DeTurk, Peru.
He was preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Joan Lucille DeTurk; second wife, Bernice Spigutz; one sister; and four brothers.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday, April 30, at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw.
His funeral service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 1, at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home and officiated by Pastor Ernie Troxell and Pastor Russell Simpson.
Burial will follow with a graveside service at Oakwood Cemetery, Warsaw, with full military rites conducted by American Legion Post 49, VFW Post 1126 and active duty members of the Army Honor Guard.
*****
Condolences may be sent at www.redpathfruthfuneralhome.com.
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