Walter Strauch

KIMBALL - Walter Strauch, 91, died at the Kimball County Manor Thursday, Sept. 1, 2011.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6, at the Cantrell Funeral Home in Kimball with Pastor Amanda Esping officiating. Burial will be in the Kimball Cemetery. Kimball VFW Post #2243 will give military honors.
Friends may call at the funeral home on Monday from 1 to 6 p.m.
Memorials may be given to the family's choice. Friends may leave on line condolences for the family at www.cantrellfh.com. The services have been entrusted to the Cantrell Funeral Home.
Walter Strauch was born on the family farm east of Kimball May 22, 1920, the son of Peter and Dora (Klamm) Strauch. He attended school in Kimball. Walt enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corp on March 13, 1941. As an enlisted man he was an airplane mechanic with the hopes of someday being a pilot. He was chosen for the pilot's program, studied hard and passed his pilot's exam. Walt was commissioned Lt. and was an instructor on P-47s before receiving his deployment orders joining the 343rd Squadron of the 55th Fighter Group stationed in England. Overseas he flew P-51s escort-ing B-17 bombers to Germany. On return missions he shot up and destroyed German locomotives haul-ing supplies to ammunitions factories and shot down German aircraft. At the war's end Capt. Strauch returned stateside and traveled the U.S. doing air demonstrations for troops. He was honorably discharged Jan. 22, 1946.
After his military service Walt returned to the family farm east of Kimball. He married Bessie Lee Williams April 5, 1946. They had four daughters: MerryAnn, Barbara Jo, Billee Sue and Bonnie Lee. They divorced in 1982. Walt farmed the land he loved with perfection until 1998.
Walt married Margaret Rohde August 3, 1997. He was the park supervisor at Oliver Reservoir State Park from 1998 to 2009. His greatest joys at the park were working with his daughters Barb and Billee and to be back in the tractor seat again.
Walt prided himself in all he did and loved being a pilot, a farmer, and a supervisor and he so loved his family and friends. His greatest joy in life was telling stories of his military service and being a fighter pilot – "OVER."
Survivors include his daughters. MerryAnn (Doug) Tomich and Barbara (Barry) Frederick of Kimball and Bonnie (Steve) Stahla of Sundance, Wyo.; son-in-law, Jack Harty of Anchorage, Alaska; grandsons, Brian Frederick, Brandon (Morgan) Frederick and Steven Stahla; granddaughters, Kelli (Rich) Patterson and Kameron Stahla; great-grandchildren, Chloe Stahla, Emma Patterson, Parker and Paige Frederick and many nieces and nephews.
Preceding Walt in death were his parents; sisters, Dorthea Strauch, Inez Pebler, Evelyn Strauch, Frieda Jorgensen, Leona Wendt and Florence LeMay; brothers, Harry, Carl, Herbert, Edward and Albert; grandson, William Walter Gregorich and daughter, Billee Strauch Harty.