- Funeral services for Herman Hathcock of Dedham will be at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2001, at Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Carroll. Mr. Hathcock, 80, a longtime Milwaukee Railroad wire chief and teletype operator and former mayor of Dedham, died Sunday, Feb 4, 2001, at his home. Pastor Tim Capon from Faith Baptist Church in Carroll will officiate the service. Burial will be in Dedham Cemetery with military honors by DeWitt Loustanau American Legion, Post No. 20 of Dedham. Casket bearers will be Anthony Nieland, Aaron Nieland, Steven Boell, Jim Nieland, Dick Thompson, and Tim Seidl. Honorary casket bearers will be members of the American Legion and Sons of the American Legion in Dedham. Visitation started at 5:00 this afternoon at the funeral home. Born Jan. 10, 1921, at Gamaliel, Ark., he was a son of Robert Lewis and Nancy Adeline (Gillette) Hathcock. After graduating from Bakersfield (MO) High School. Mr. Hathcock was a math teacher and bus driver before moving to Wichita, Kas., and going to work for Boeing. (Note: Herman actually worked for AERO Parts Manufacturing Company (Inc).-DJH, Nov 2014) He entered the Army Air Corps [on] July 31, 1942, and trained at Jefferson Barracks, Mo. He completed Army Air Forces Technical Schools at Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Tomah, Wisconsin and Orlando, Florida. During his military career, he served in England, Scotland, Africa, Sicily, Italy, and Austria. Mr. Hathcock was awarded five Bronze Stars for the Southern France, Rome-Arna, Naples-Foggia, Northern Apennines, and Po Valley campaigns. He also earned the Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Ribbon, Victory Ribbon, and five Overseas Service Bars. Mr. Hathcock attained [the] rank of sergeant before being discharged [on] Nov. 21, 1945. He later was awarded the Presidential Citation for going above and beyond the call of duty. He returned home to Hammond, Mo., where he ran a trucking business and met his wife, Polly Stewart. They were married [on] Aug. 9, 1947, at Mountain Home, Ark. Mr. Hathcock eventually went to work for the Milwaukee Railroad in 1956. The family moved in town to Dedham in 1959. He retired from the railroad in 1985. He served a four-year term as Dedham's mayor and was a member of the City Council. Mr. Hathcock was a 43-year member and a former commander of the Dedham American Legion post. Survivors include his wife Polly of Dedham, seven children: Deborah Hamm of Des Moines, Karan Nieland and her husband Larry of Tucson, Ariz., Alex Hathcock of Mesa, Ariz., Annette Shiner of Altoona, Brian Hathcock and his fiancée, Jen Irlbeck of Carroll, Kimberly Fry and her husband Rod of Henderson, Nev., and Ivan Hathcock and his wife Ronda of Carroll, 12 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, five sisters: Valeta and Thurlo Crawford of Gainesville, Mo., Verlene and Bernie Reid of DeWitt, Gladys (Luther deceased) Billingsly of Columbus Junction, Norma Jean and John Brown of Richland, Mo., Betty Jo and Ronnie Kettelsen of Clinton and a sister-in-law Vona Dean (Wallace) Hathcock of Thornfield, Mo. Also a brother-in-law Ivan J "Jay" Stewart and his wife Joyce (Gillette)of Weaubleau, Mo., and two 2 more sisters-in-law: Geneva (Herd)(Bill deceased) Stewart of Ava, Mo., and Peggy (Stewart) and her husband Robert Vens of Wheatland. Mr. Hathcock was preceded in death by his parents and a brother Hayden Hathcock. [Source: Daily Times Herald, Carroll, Iowa, February 6, 2001]
|