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Leonard R. Gerstenberg
Graveside services for Leonard R. Gerstenberg, 99 of Belton were held Nov. 28, 2008. Joe Baisden, Pad Chaney, and Paul Gerstenberg officiated.
Gerstenberg died Nov. 24, in a Temple hospital. He was born in Weimar, Colorado County, Texas March 7, 1909 to William August and Helena Gerstenberg.. Leonard, at age 5, the youngest of seven children settled the land here on the Lampasas River in 1914. He married
Ethel Huey, Nov. 22, 1931 who preceded him in death in 1985. He farmed all his life and was a pecan grower and expert in pecan grafting.
Survivors include his wife of 21 years, the former Louise Walker Reid; a son Kenneth Charles Gerstenberg and wife, Vera of Belton; five grandchildren Dennis C. Gerstenberg; David L. Gerstenberg, both of Montgomery, Tx; Mark Gerstenberg of Colorado Springs, CO.; Helena Gerstenberg Clark, of Highlands Ranch, CO and K. Paul Gerstenberg of Port Authur, Tx. 20 great grandchildren and six great, great grandchildren.
Visitation was held on Nov. 25 at Heartfield’s Funeral Home in Belton.
Col. (USAF-R) Gerald Byron Bunker
Col. (USAF-R) Gerald Byron Bunker, 80, died November 21, 2008 at Alz-Care in Temple. Services were held Nov. 25 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Temple. Burial followed in Salado Cemetery.
Pastor Wilbern Michalk officiated the services.
Bunker was born November 11, 1928 at University Hospital, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Maxwell Byron Bunker and Velma Ardella Van Loh Bunker.
He graduated from Central High School in Oklahoma City in 1946 and then attended Oklahoma A&M in Stillwater for two years on a Chemical Engineering scholarship.
When his father retired and moved the family back to his hometown of Salado, Bunker transferred to the University of Texas and joined the Air Force ROTC program. He graduated from UT as a Distinguished Military Graduate in 1951 with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering.
He married
Betty Henshaw Duckworth in Belton on January 28, 1951.
He accepted a Regular Air Force commission in March 1951 and was posted to Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi Mississippi.
Among the many assignments for Col. Bunker during his 29 year Air Force career were these: 106th A&E Maintenance Squadron; K-9 Korea 34th Bomb Squadron and 17th Bomb Wing; Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico as research and development project officer with the Air Force Special Weapons Center, with emphasis on nuclear weapons; RAF Station Bushy Park in England; Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama; Deputy Division Chief in Technical Application Center, Alexandria, Virginia; Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Ft. Lesley J. McNair and Washington, D.C.; Defense Intelligence Agency, Rosslyn, Virginia; Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts; National Security Agency at Ft. George G. Mead, Maryland; Headquarters, Electronic Command at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas.
He retired as the Deputy Chief of Communications Security at Kelly on June 30, 1980.
His decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Air Force Commendation medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service with one bronze start, the Korean Service Medal with two bronze stars, the United Nations Service Medal and the RAF Missile badge (for his work installing the Thor missile throughout the British isles).
Col. Bunker was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Temple, the Lutheran Layman’s League, the Retired Officers’ Association, the Air Force Association, the National Rifle Association and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
He is survived by his wife Betty and daughter Kathi and her husband John Nowosacki, of North Reading, Massachusetts, daughter Tina and her husband Casey Winters, of Belton, son Eric and his wife Laurie, of Monroe, Georgia.
He is also survived by his brother Frederick M. Bunker, of Tyler, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to Lutheran World Relief, 700 Light Street, Baltimore, MD 21230 or Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Research, 200 First Street, S.W., Rochester, MN 55905.
Heartfield Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Leo T. “Pete” Peterson
Leo T. “Pete” Peterson. formerly of Salado and aged 88, passed away November 12, 2008 in Cibolo, Texas. He was interred at Fort Sam Houston on Nov. 21.
He was born in Madison, Wisconsin on May 14, 1920 to Edward Walter Mayer and Mary Agnes Kehl, both of whom were form Wisconsin. His given name at birth was Leo Thomas Mayer.
His only sister, Carolyn, was born two years later. Shortly after her death, the family was separated due to the presumed death of Edward Walters Mayer.
After Mayer’s death, Leo was raised in an orphanage for a period of time, while his sister lived with another relative.
His mother later married
William “Bill” Peterson. She reunited with her two children and she and her new husband raised the children.
Leo called himself Leo T. Peterson, and was known to family and friends as “Pete.” He legally had his name changed from Leo Thomas Mayer to Leo Thomas Peterson in 1977.
He married
Lorraine E. Roinestad on June 21, 1941. The couple had five children before their divorce in 1986: Sheryl Russell, of Salado; Thomas “Tom” Peterson, of San Antonio; Virginia Robertson, of Jewett; Deborah Leonard, of Nacogdoches; and Susan Peterson, who died in infancy.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 and transferred to the U.S. Air Force in 1944, where he served as a command pilot with 4,000 hours in flight, flying 30 B-17 missions ETO. He was honorably discharged in 1964.
He earned a B.A. in Economics from Notre Dame in 1958. After a 22 year military career, he became a stock broker for almost two decades before retiring in 1982.
He is survived by his children and former wife.
Spc. Corey Michael Shea
Fort Hood officials have announced the death of a Soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. The soldier died Nov. 12, 2008 in Mosul, Iraq, when an Iraqi Army soldier wearing a uniform approached two soldiers and opened fire.
Spc. Corey Michael Shea, 21, of Mansfield, Massachusetts, a Cavalry Scout, entered the Army in March 2006. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment since August 2006.
Specialist Shea’s awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal and Army Service Ribbon.
Sgt. Jose Regalado
Fort Hood officials have announced the death of a Soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. The soldier died Nov. 12, 2008 in Mosul, Iraq, when an Iraqi Army soldier wearing a uniform approached two soldiers and opened fire.
Sgt. Jose Regalado, 23, of Los Angeles, California, a Cavalry Scout, entered the Army in July 2003. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment since December 2007.
The Soldier deployed to Iraq November 2007.
Sergeant Regalado’s awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon and Overseas Service Ribbon.
Pfc. Theron Vondameir Hobbs
Fort Hood officials announced Nov. 12 the death of a Soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. Theron Vondameir Hobbs, 22, of Albany, Ga., died Nov. 6, 2008 in a motor vehicle accident in Kirkuk, Iraq.
Hobbs was assigned to 572nd Engineer Company, 20th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, since April 2008, as an M1 Abrams Tank System Maintainer.
He deployed to Iraq April 2008.
Pfc. Hobb’s awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and Overseas Service Ribbon.
Sgt. Kevin Wayne Thomas
Fort Hood officials have released the name of a soldier after next-of-kin had been notified, who died Monday, November 10, 2008, in Temple from injuries received in a motorcycle accident in Florence.
Sgt. Kevin Wayne Thomas, 24, of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, an Ammunition Specialist, entered the military in May 2003. He was assigned to the 664th Ordnance Company, 180th Transportation Battalion, 15th Sustainment Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) since February 2006.
Thomas, during the time of the incident, was the driver of a privately owned motorcycle. He was killed as a result of injuries sustained during the accident.
Thomas’ decorations and awards include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Valorous Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon and NATO Medal.
The accident is under investigation.
Julie Kay Coker
Graveside services for Julie Kay Coker, 41 of Belton were held Nov. 8, at Bellwood Memorial Park.
Mrs. Coker died Nov. 4, 2008 in an Austin care center.
Julie was born Dec. 10, 1966 in Belton to Hubert L. and Barbara Ann (McDonald) Chaney. She graduated from Belton High School in 1985 and attended Temple College. Julie married
Kerry Coker June 9, 1990. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Belton.
Julie is survived by her husband, Kerry Coker of Belton; one son, Tyler Coker of Salado; one daughter, Kristen Holmes of Cedar Park; three brothers, Don Chaney of Moody, David Chaney of New Caney, Michael Chaney of Houston.
She was preceded in death by her parents and one child.
Arrangements are under the direction of Heartfield Funeral Home.
James Alexander Pringle III
James Alexander Pringle III, a longtime resident of Salado, died December 26, 2008 at Park Place Manor Nursing Home in Belton.. He was born October 24, 1922.
Upon retirement from the University Of Texas Drama Department in the late ‘80s Jim discovered Salado and decided to build a house there.
He became active in the community serving on committees and bringing his expertise to the Art Fair, Highland Games and Central Texas Area Museum and was on the committee that developed the old school into the new Community Center.
His passion was for the Salado Democrats, where he served for many years. He was well known throughout his adopted town. Jim was a devoted animal lover and over the course of his life rescued and loved many dogs and cats. His two best friends toward the end of his life were his cats Maude and Tom who slept with him every night until he moved earlier this month to the nursing home. He said that he always wanted to be remembered as a friend to animals.
Jim was born in Pittsfield, MA. He served in WWII first in the Veterinary Corps then in the Quartermaster Corp in France. He went to the Parsons School of Design and Fordham University in New York City, was recruited by Margo Jones to help start and run her theatre in Dallas, and was later brought to the University of Texas by Loren Winship in the 1950s.
Mr. Pringle, as he was known to just about everyone, left his greatest legacy in the form of the many students who passed through the Drama Department over the years. He was very proud of their accomplishments. He instilled a sense of responsibility, history and a strong work ethic. He believed in the power of a person’s reputation to carry one through life. He was a very private person who believed in minding his own business. He loved Scotland and took great pride in his Scottish heritage. He always dealt honorably with everyone.
Jim and his wife Rita Cohen Pringle were married
in Brooklyn, NY after the war. Rita died in Austin in 1971. They loved each other very much and were well known in Dallas and Austin as a fun loving, entertaining couple. Jim always respected Rita as a fine judge of people. She could be intimidating; he could be almost pixyish. Together they made a fine pair. In his later years Jim became friend and benefactor to several gay men with AIDS who benefited greatly from his love and care.
Jim is survived by his sister Muriel Poulos, nephew James Poulos, dear friend Leslie Rollins and his partner Dave Bradley, and longtime friend Paul Coates. There will be a memorial service in Salado in late spring or summer. If you would like to honor Jim’s memory you may make a donation to any animal related charity of your choice; the Rita C. Pringle Scholarship Fund at the UT Law School; or to your local hospice care agency.
