Jerald Joe Longenecker
March 22, 2019 at 8:57 p.m.
By -
Happy birthday, Joe!
Joe was raised in Oswego on the Tippecanoe River and went to school in Leesburg, where he played basketball. At age 12 he went to work at Robinson’s grocery store in Oswego. Joe earned money as a caddy at Tippecanoe Lake Country Club. During high school summers, he worked for Jay Schue painting primarily barns.
After graduation from Leesburg High School, he joined the Air Force at age 19. After basic training, Joe was assigned to Randolph Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas, and the School of Aviation Medicine for three years. At that time, the school was researching flight helmets and pilots’ sunglasses. Joe enjoyed this work and considered himself very fortunate to get this assignment.
Joe wanted to go to flight school but needed to be an officer. The Air Force would accept an Army commission and he was granted a transfer to the Army. After Army basic training, Joe was selected for Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Ga. Joe graduated from OCS and Norma graduated from nurses training at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. Joe was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant on Sept. 19, 1952, and they were married on Sept. 21 in Hagerstown. The newlyweds were stationed at Camp Chafee, Fort Smith, Ark. Norma said Joe could never remember their anniversary date but could always remember the day he received his commission.
They lived in Arkansas until he received orders to go to Korea. While he was in Korea, Norma was pregnant and they celebrated their first anniversary. Joe sent money to Norma’s sister, Martha, to buy Norma an anniversary gift, a Revere bowl and pots and pans.
Joe had many tough missions in Korea. He led his platoon in battle at Hill 700, Punch Bowl, Kumwah Valley and Heart Break Ridge. He was sent home to Norma and new son Jay. On his return to the States and discharge from the Army, he enlisted in the Indiana Air National Guard and served there 24 years. The 122nd Tactical Fighter Squadron was called to active duty during the Berlin Crisis, October 1961 to August 1962. In the Air Guard, Joe worked his way to base commander in Fort Wayne. He retired as wing intelligence officer at the Indiana Air Guard headquarters in Indianapolis with the rank of lieutenent colonel after a total of 32 years of service to his country.
Early on Joe was a Farm Bureau Insurance agent and then an insurance adjuster for General Adjustment Bureau. He completed his career with The Hartford, where he worked as a senior marketing representative for 23 years. During those years they moved from Tippecanoe Lake to Marion to Fort Wayne and back to the lake at North Webster.
Joe was always at the kids’ sporting events, timing races and shouting encouragement. He and the kids loved spring, when they could fly fish in the lily pads to see who could catch the biggest fish. Joe had a canoe he could fish from and decided he needed a small outboard motor on it. One windy day the motor died and as he restarted it, he rolled the canoe, motor and himself right into the lake. From this day forward the canoe was known as “Father’s Folly.” The boys were in scouting and learning to canoe. Joe thought they should learn how to right a swamped canoe. He and the boys rolled their canoe over but could not get it righted. Norma and Jennifer had to come out in the boat and assist with the canoe.
Joe, Norma and the kids all played golf together.
Joe was a choir member and lay leader at St. Andrews United Methodist Church. He was a member of Cromwell Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite of Fort Wayne and Mizpah Shrine. At the Shrine Joe was a chanter for 10 years and a member of the Hospital Unit as a driver to the Shrine Hospital. He was a charter member of the Lakeland Kiwanis and Warsaw American Legion Post 49.
After his retirement, Joe and Norma traveled extensively. Joe visited 49 of the 50 states. They drove many miles in their custom van seeing the country.
Joe is survived by his wife, Norma; son, Jay Longenecker (Patti) of Cicero; and daughter, Jennifer Miller (Ken) of Anderson; 10 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and daughter-in-law Melissa Longenecker.
He was preceded in death by his parents; son, J. Chris Longenecker; two sisters, Phyllis Shively and Jan Romig; and two brothers, Jack and John Longenecker.
Happy birthday, Joe!
Joe was raised in Oswego on the Tippecanoe River and went to school in Leesburg, where he played basketball. At age 12 he went to work at Robinson’s grocery store in Oswego. Joe earned money as a caddy at Tippecanoe Lake Country Club. During high school summers, he worked for Jay Schue painting primarily barns.
After graduation from Leesburg High School, he joined the Air Force at age 19. After basic training, Joe was assigned to Randolph Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas, and the School of Aviation Medicine for three years. At that time, the school was researching flight helmets and pilots’ sunglasses. Joe enjoyed this work and considered himself very fortunate to get this assignment.
Joe wanted to go to flight school but needed to be an officer. The Air Force would accept an Army commission and he was granted a transfer to the Army. After Army basic training, Joe was selected for Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Ga. Joe graduated from OCS and Norma graduated from nurses training at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. Joe was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant on Sept. 19, 1952, and they were married on Sept. 21 in Hagerstown. The newlyweds were stationed at Camp Chafee, Fort Smith, Ark. Norma said Joe could never remember their anniversary date but could always remember the day he received his commission.
They lived in Arkansas until he received orders to go to Korea. While he was in Korea, Norma was pregnant and they celebrated their first anniversary. Joe sent money to Norma’s sister, Martha, to buy Norma an anniversary gift, a Revere bowl and pots and pans.
Joe had many tough missions in Korea. He led his platoon in battle at Hill 700, Punch Bowl, Kumwah Valley and Heart Break Ridge. He was sent home to Norma and new son Jay. On his return to the States and discharge from the Army, he enlisted in the Indiana Air National Guard and served there 24 years. The 122nd Tactical Fighter Squadron was called to active duty during the Berlin Crisis, October 1961 to August 1962. In the Air Guard, Joe worked his way to base commander in Fort Wayne. He retired as wing intelligence officer at the Indiana Air Guard headquarters in Indianapolis with the rank of lieutenent colonel after a total of 32 years of service to his country.
Early on Joe was a Farm Bureau Insurance agent and then an insurance adjuster for General Adjustment Bureau. He completed his career with The Hartford, where he worked as a senior marketing representative for 23 years. During those years they moved from Tippecanoe Lake to Marion to Fort Wayne and back to the lake at North Webster.
Joe was always at the kids’ sporting events, timing races and shouting encouragement. He and the kids loved spring, when they could fly fish in the lily pads to see who could catch the biggest fish. Joe had a canoe he could fish from and decided he needed a small outboard motor on it. One windy day the motor died and as he restarted it, he rolled the canoe, motor and himself right into the lake. From this day forward the canoe was known as “Father’s Folly.” The boys were in scouting and learning to canoe. Joe thought they should learn how to right a swamped canoe. He and the boys rolled their canoe over but could not get it righted. Norma and Jennifer had to come out in the boat and assist with the canoe.
Joe, Norma and the kids all played golf together.
Joe was a choir member and lay leader at St. Andrews United Methodist Church. He was a member of Cromwell Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite of Fort Wayne and Mizpah Shrine. At the Shrine Joe was a chanter for 10 years and a member of the Hospital Unit as a driver to the Shrine Hospital. He was a charter member of the Lakeland Kiwanis and Warsaw American Legion Post 49.
After his retirement, Joe and Norma traveled extensively. Joe visited 49 of the 50 states. They drove many miles in their custom van seeing the country.
Joe is survived by his wife, Norma; son, Jay Longenecker (Patti) of Cicero; and daughter, Jennifer Miller (Ken) of Anderson; 10 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and daughter-in-law Melissa Longenecker.
He was preceded in death by his parents; son, J. Chris Longenecker; two sisters, Phyllis Shively and Jan Romig; and two brothers, Jack and John Longenecker.
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