Roley E. Arterburn
Roley E. Arterburn, a lifetime Chase County resident, died Tuesday, June 7, 2011, at the Imperial Manor. He was 89.
Roley was born September 17, 1921, to Roley W. and Ruby M. (Lock) Arterburn. He grew up on the family farm near Arterburn Lake south of Lamar. He attended Bussell Mill Grade School, and then graduated from Chase County High School in 1939.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Alyce, in 2005; his sister, Virginia Spady, and his parents.
Roley spent his entire life in Chase County, with the exception of service in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He enlisted in August of 1942 and after earning his pilot’s wings, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and stationed in England. He served as co-pilot on the Glory Bee, a B-24 Liberator, in the European Theater, flying his first bombing mission on D-Day. On his ninth mission, on July 27, 1941, he was severely injured by anti-aircraft fire while on a mission to bomb a railroad marshalling yard 40 miles northeast of Paris. He lost the tips of two fingers and thumb of his right hand and suffered leg and abdominal injuries. He was awarded, among other decorations and citations, the Order of the Purple Heart, the U.S. Air Medal and was promoted to first lieutenant.
After his honorable discharge on December 5, 1945, he returned to Chase County where he spent most of his life farming in the Lamar area. He enjoyed the work involved in farming, and was a skilled welder, fabricating some of the equipment he used on the farm. By example, he instilled a solid work ethic in those around him.
Roley married Alyce Erthum on February 1, 1950, in Imperial. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He was an avid Husker football fan, attending games starting in the 1950s. He also attended reunions of the 67th Squadron in the 44th Bomb Group of the Eighth Air Force, known as the Flying 8 Balls.
He was a member of the Purity Lodge 198 A.F. & A.M., serving as master of the Imperial lodge, and Scottish Rite of Hastings. He served on the District 66 School Board and Chase County Hospital Board of Directors.
Survivors include a daughter, Mary Wintz of Denver; and sons, Roley W. of Lamar; John and his wife, Cindy, of Imperial; and Joe and his wife, Cathy of Sidney; nine grandchildren, Adam Wintz of Phoenix, Ariz..; Kate Wintz of Colombia, Mo.; Carly Arterburn of Hastings; Pete and his wife, Lindsey Arterburn of Dallas, Texas; Paul Arterburn of Denver, Colo.; Tom Arterburn of Imperial; and Hunter, Jack and Sam Arterburn of Sidney; a sister, Barbara Banks of Imperial; two brothers, Keith and Kermit, both of McCook; and brother-in-law Kenneth Spady of Ogallala.
Funeral services will be held at Saturday, June 11, 2011, at 10:30 a.m., (MT) at the First United Methodist Church in Imperial, Nebraska, with Rev. Fred W. Andersen officiating. Interment will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery in Imperial. Military rites by VFW Post 4688, Imperial, Nebraska, and Masonic Rites provided by Purity Lodge 198 A.F. & A.M., Imperial, Nebraska.
Visitation will be held Friday, June 10, 2011, 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. (MT), at Liewer Funeral Home in Imperial.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to the Roley and Alyce Arterburn Memorial Nursing Scholarship Fund, the Imperial Manor or the United Methodist Church in Imperial.
LIEWER FUNERAL HOME IN CHARGE OF ARRANGEMENTS