Sgt. Lloyd Alder Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd L. Alder of Wilmore, was drowned on June 1 while fishing in a motor boat with two other soldiers in Clear Lake, near Medical Lake, Wash. The boat capsized and went down and Sgt. Alder, who was a good swimmer, started swimming to the shore which was about 300 yards away.
The accident was witnessed by a woman in a motor boat but before she could reach the Wilmore soldier, he apparently was seized with cramps in the cold water of the lake and sank out of sight. She rescued the other two soldiers who were clinging to the upset boat which finally came to the surface.
Fifty soldiers from the 82d supply squadron of the Fairchild Air Force Base, where Sgt. Alder was stationed, dragged the lake for several days, but his body was not recovered until June 17, when it was discovered by a fisherman.
Funeral services, with military honors, were held in the Hazen & Jaeger funeral home chapel at Spokane, Wash., on June 19 at 3 p.m. and were in charge of Rev. Maxfield, a base chaplain.
Sgt. Alder's body was shipped to Comanche county and funeral services were held in the Wilmore Baptist church at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, June 22, 1951. They were in charge of Rev. Noel Woods, pastor of the church.
A mixed quartet composed of Mrs. F. H. Moberley, Mrs. Arthur Barber, Walter Smith and Valtos Richardson, sang "Sometime We'll Understand," "In the Garden" and "Ivory Palaces." Mrs. Lauren Ridge was the pianist.
Sgt. Alder was buried with full military honors, which were supplied by members of the Wm. H. Finnery Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 7640 of Coldwater.
The active pall bearers were Jay Pepperd, Junior Snyder, Clifford Snyder, Delmer Ferrin, Earl Hubbard and Vernie White and the honorary pallbearers were Merle Unruh, Richard Trummel, Gene Uhl, Weldon Trummel, Lyle Rader and Deryl Rader. Interment was in the Wilmore cemetery.
The officers of the post in charge were Martin S. McIntyre, Harold R. Emerson, Wade Zeigler and W. N. Parsons. The color guard was composed of Orland Callaway, Burke Burnette, Carl Keese and Forest Smith. The bugler was Norman Butcher and the chaplain Rev. Bill Dial.
Composing the firing squad were Lawrence York Jr., Phillip Hackney, Ernest Harris, John Barlow, John Deewall, Clair Cummings and Virgil McIntyre. John Deewell and Phillip Hackney were the casket guard.
Obituary. Sgt. Lloyd Lewis Alder Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd L. Alder, was born in Wilmore, Kansas, February 5, 1929, and passed away near Spokane, Wash., June 1, 1951, at the age of 22 years, 3 months and 25 days.
At the age of 12 he united with the Baptist church in Wilmore. He attended eight years of grade school and four years of high school in Wilmore, graduating with the class of 1947. The following fall he enrolled in the Pratt Junior College.
He enlisted in the United States Air Force in October, 1948, and was sent to Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas, for his basic training, then was transferred to Camp Lee, Va. He was next sent to The Smokey Hill Air Base, Salina, Kans., then to the Barksdale Air Force Base, Barksdale, La., and later to the Spokane Air Force Base, Fairchild, Washington.
Sgt. Adler was united in marriage with Miss Evelyn L. Chartrey, daughter of Albert H. Chartrey of Aberdeen, Wash., on October 6, 1950.
One brother, John Baldwin Alder, preceded him in death on January 7, 1932. He is survived by his wife, Evelyn Alder, of Spokane, Wash., his parents, Lloyd and Margaret Alder of Wilmore, Athea Alder of the home, Mrs. Marvin (Beatrice) O'Dell of Ulysses, Kans., Mrs. John Roy (Mace) Evans, Chaflin, Kans., Mrs. Lloyd (Helen) Coles, Coldwater, Kans., Rudyard T. Alder, Wellington, Kans., Carl Alder, Coldwater, Kans., eight nieces, seven nephews and a host of other relatives and friends.
Lloyd 'Jarge,' as he was known to all his friends, had a great personality and was linked by all who knew him, and he was dearly loved by his family. He was a good soldier and made rapid prgress in his advancements. At the time of his death Sgt. Adler was up for promotion to the rank of Staff Sergarent. His place in life and duty can never be replaced.
The sorrowing relatives have the sympathy of all in the untimely death of their loved one.
Gravestone reading: Note : This is a grey flat military stone with a cross on it. Lloyd Lewis Alder, Jr. was the son of Maggie and Lloyd L. Alder, Sr. See Comanche County History, p. 211. Burial: Lot #134, Powell Township Cemetery, Wilmore, Comanche County, Kansas.ALDER, Lloyd L.Jr.
February 5, 1929 - June 2, 1951
KANSAS Sgt 98 AF AIR Base GP
American LegionView Larger Image of Lloyd Alder, Jr..
Lloyd Lewis Alder, father of Lloyd Alder, Jr.
Margaret Mae (Baldwin) Alder, mother of Lloyd Alder, Jr.
Althea Alder, sister of Lloyd Alder, Jr.
Thanks to Shirley Brier for finding, transcribing and contributing the above news article to this web site!
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