Lewis Getchell

    Lewis A. Getchell, age 97, of Joplin, Missouri, died and was called home by his Lord and Savior Dec. 7, 2017, at National Healthcare in Joplin after a one-year battle with cancer. When Lewis died, he was surrounded by his family. Lewis was born Oct. 8, 1920, to Leonard and Zora Getchell on a farm near Yuma.
    Lewis lived in several southeastern Colorado communities, including Holly and Towner, growing up during the Depression and Dust Bowl. In 1938, his father and mother moved to Holyoke. Zora was a minister for the Assembly of God Church and was called to start a church in Holyoke. Rev. Zora wrote to Lewis that she had met a young lady, Dorene Holtzman, whom she would like Lewis to meet. Of course, Lewis said he would pick out his own girlfriends.
    In late summer, Lewis moved to Holyoke and met Dorene. Lewis attended Phillips County High School and graduated in 1939, and Dorene graduated from Phillips County High School in 1941.
    On July 25, 1941, he and Dorene were married in St. Francis, Kansas. They lived in Holyoke until Lewis was inducted into the Army Air Corps on Oct. 8, 1942. He was trained as a waist gunner on a B-24 at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver. On Oct. 18, 1943, the 705th Squadron of the 446th Bomb Group of the 8th Air Force departed for England where they were based at Bungay.
    Lewis, who was promoted to staff sergeant while in England, flew 30 missions over Germany from December 1943 until May 1944. One of those missions was the first daylight bombing of Berlin on March 6, 1944. On this mission, due to the No. 1 engine being on fire as a result of flack over Berlin, the plane crippled back to England after the fire was extinguished while diving/falling over 15,000 feet.
    Among the citations Lewis was awarded was the Distinguished Flying Cross with three oak leaf clusters. In May 1944, while he was stationed in England, his son, Leroy, was born. He returned from England in September 1944 and was again stationed at Lowry in Denver, where his daughter, Patricia, was born in June 1945. Lewis trained on a B-29 and was preparing for duty in the Asian-Pacific Theater when the war ended.
    After the war, Lewis returned to Holyoke with his family, where he started a gravel-hauling business. He started this business with a Model A truck and a scoop shovel. He shoveled the gravel on the truck, and when it was loaded he shoveled it off the truck. Needless to say, he worked extremely hard.
    This business ultimately grew, and he purchased a Ford tractor and a truck with a hoist. As the business expanded, he later purchased a backhoe, a chain digger, an Allis-Chalmers caterpillar and additional trucks. He operated this business until April 1, 1960, when he sold the business to Kramer and Leben. Lewis served as a member of the Holyoke Volunteer Fire Department.
    Lewis moved the family to southern California, where they stayed for a little less than two years. Due to Leroy having health problems, Lewis and family moved to Fallon, Nevada, in the spring of 1962. Lewis worked for Kennametal Inc., a tungsten carbide processing company. Lewis started as an hourly employee and worked his way up, finally becoming the general plant foreman of production and maintenance over two plants.
    During the time in Fallon, he and his son started a Polled Hereford farm, which they operated until Lewis retired in 1980 and moved the cattle to Wentworth, Missouri. Lewis Getchell and Son Polled Herefords were noted for quality seed stock. In addition to private sales of cattle, they sold bulls at several tested bull sales, including Mount Vernon and Columbia, Missouri.
    In 1992, Lewis dispersed the cattle herd and sold the farm and ultimately moved to Joplin. After an illness, Dorene passed away in Joplin on March 19, 2000, after nearly 59 years of marriage.
    On Feb. 14, 2003, Lewis and Oleta Whitehead were married in Joplin. They had continuously lived in Joplin since their marriage, although their first home was destroyed in the 2011 Joplin tornado. Lewis was a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Joplin.
    Preceding him in death were his parents; his wife, Dorene; and his sister, Irene Miller.
    Lewis is survived by his wife, Oleta; son, Leroy Getchell and wife Lyla of Joplin; daughter, Patty Getchell of Atlanta, Georgia; three stepchildren, Janice France and husband Wayne of Ozark, Missouri, Michael Whitehead and wife Judy of Joplin, and Judith DuRall and husband Randy of Joplin; two grandchildren, Dr. Roy Getchell and wife Tracy of Avon and John Getchell and wife Michelle of Kaneohe, Hawaii; four great-grandchildren; a host of step-grandchildren, great-grandchildren, step-great-great-grandchildren and step-great-great-great-grandchildren; and nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends.
    Services were held Dec. 12 at Parker Mortuary in Joplin, with Pastor Tom Goettel officiating.
    A graveside service will be held at the Holyoke Cemetery on Thursday, Dec. 14, at 1 p.m., with Pastor Max Hines officiating.
    Contributions may be made to the Baptist Children’s Home in Mount Vernon, Missouri.