Max Winfrey Hemping

Max Winfrey Hemping, born in Scranton, North Dakota July 4, 1922, passed away on April 22, 2015. His family moved to Colo, Iowa where they lived on a farm until he joined the Navy when World War II broke out. He served on the USS Pennsylvania and was a Pearl Harbor Survivor. He was on the USS Laffey when it was sunk at the Battle of Guadacanal. He was assigned as part of the squadron aboard the USS Yarnall when the WWII Peace Treaty was signed. He was honorably discharged after contracting malaria for the fourth time. Max served six years active duty in the Navy and another fourteen years in the Navy Reserve. He retired from the Navy with twenty years total service, having never learned how to swim. His stations and vessels he served on were the Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Illinois, USS Pennsylvania, USS Laffey, USS Solace, USS Yarnall, USS West Virginia, USS Indiana, USS Lexington, US Naval Rec Station in Seattle, WA. His military decorations included Asiatic Pacific six stars, American Area, American Defense one star, Good Conduct Medal one star, World War II Victory Medal, Philipine Liberation two stars, Purple Heart, and the Presidential Unit Citation one star.
Max traveled from Iowa to Corning on an Indian Chief motorcycle to see his Naval buddy Clyde Talley, whom he met and served with during his service. He met Clyde's wife's sister and fell in love. He married Virginia (Jeanie) Ruth Privett on September 28, 1949, they were married for sixty-five years. Their children with spouses are Lynda and Jim Cahill, Max II and Carmen Hemping, Craig and Janet (Palermo) Hemping, and Casey and Roberta Hemping. They have ten grandchildren and twenty-two great grandchildren.

Throughout his life he worked at Crane Mills, Diamond Lumber, and Tehama County Road Department which he retired from after nineteen years. He loved fishing, camping, his pets, the 49ers and Giants, and his grandchildren. He often remarked how beautiful Northern California was. He would often say to his family and friends as they parted, "Don't take any wooden nickels."

There will be an escort procession provided by MIAP (Missing In America Project) starting at Hall Brothers Mortuary, 902 5th Street in Corning to the Tehama Cemetary starting at 9:00 am on Friday, May 1, 2015. You are welcome to join the procession if you would like to. The graveside services will be at 10:00 at the Tehama Cemetary.
After the graveside service you are invited to a luncheon and time for celebration of Max's life to be held at The First Baptist Church, 506 Colusa Street in Corning.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to:
Redding Veteran's Home
3400 Knighton Road, Attention: Accounting
Redding, CA 96002
In the memo line of your check, please write, "In memory of Max Hemping"