His savior called John William "Bill" Davis, of Statesville Road, North Wilkesboro, home on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009.
He was born Dec. 29, 1925, in North Wilkesboro, Wilkes County, the son of Schuyler Colfax and Della Mae Souther Davis.
Bill voluntarily enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II and served in Gen. George S. Patton's 3rd Army. His service took him to five European countries: Scotland, England, France, Belgium and Germany. Over the Christmas of 1944, during the worst winter in a century in Europe, he participated in the relief of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. This battle was considered one of the most astonishing military operations of the war. Bill was injured in battle from the concussion of 88 mm shells fired from two German tiger tanks, and required hospitalization. He suffered frost bite to his legs and feet from the knee deep snow and 15° temperatures. He received the following medals: the Bronze, a Good Conduct Medal, Battle of the Bulge, Europe-Africa-ME Victory, and WWII Victory.
After being discharged honorably from the service, Bill and Cora Belle lived in Statesville, and then Virginia Beach, Va., where he worked for the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Bill retired from Western Electric Co./Bell Telephone Laboratories (now Lucent Technologies) in Greensboro, with 25 years of service. During his career, he was very proud to work on the Nike Ajax and Hercules surface-to-air missile systems and other projects for the military.
Following his retirement, he moved to his original homeplace in Wilkes County to be closer to family. There he participated as a member of the Corps of Cooperative Weather Observers for the National Weather Service for the past 20 years. While in Greensboro, he attended Calvary Baptist Church and joined the Freemasonry at the Grand Lodge of AF & AM of North Carolina. Upon returning to Wilkes County, he moved his membership to the Grassy Knob Lodge No. 471, Union Grove, where they honored him with the 50 year Veteran's Emblem.
Bill was a lifetime member of Mount Pisgah Baptist Church and served on a number of committees, including serving as Chairman of the Cemetery Committee and also the Building Committee, which oversaw the construction of the Fellowship Hall built in 1997.
Bill was preceded in death by his loving wife of 60 years, Cora Belle Henderson Davis.
He is survived by his son, Dr. Gary Sherman Davis; and daughter-in-law, Patricia Hight Davis of Raleigh. Bill was one of nine brothers and sisters, along with six half-brothers and sisters by Schuyler's first wife, Naomi McCarter. The surviving brothers and sisters are Isaac and Gurney Davis of North Wilkesboro, Margaret Souther and Lucille Holland of Statesville, and Virginia Leonard of Harmony. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, located on Highway 115, North Wilkesboro, with the Rev. Tony Bunton officiating.
Burial, with military honors by Post 1142 of Veterans of Foreign Wars and Masonic Rites by Grassy Knob Lodge 471, will be in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. this evening at Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, P.O. Box 68, Union Grove, NC 28689; or The 4-H Development Fund, c/o The Gary S. and Patricia H. Davis 4-H Poultry Science Scholarship, N.C. State University, Box 7606, Raleigh, NC 27695-7606.
Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home is handling all arrangements for the family.
Published in the Statesville Record & Landmark on 2/21/2009
He was born Dec. 29, 1925, in North Wilkesboro, Wilkes County, the son of Schuyler Colfax and Della Mae Souther Davis.
Bill voluntarily enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II and served in Gen. George S. Patton's 3rd Army. His service took him to five European countries: Scotland, England, France, Belgium and Germany. Over the Christmas of 1944, during the worst winter in a century in Europe, he participated in the relief of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. This battle was considered one of the most astonishing military operations of the war. Bill was injured in battle from the concussion of 88 mm shells fired from two German tiger tanks, and required hospitalization. He suffered frost bite to his legs and feet from the knee deep snow and 15° temperatures. He received the following medals: the Bronze, a Good Conduct Medal, Battle of the Bulge, Europe-Africa-ME Victory, and WWII Victory.
After being discharged honorably from the service, Bill and Cora Belle lived in Statesville, and then Virginia Beach, Va., where he worked for the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Bill retired from Western Electric Co./Bell Telephone Laboratories (now Lucent Technologies) in Greensboro, with 25 years of service. During his career, he was very proud to work on the Nike Ajax and Hercules surface-to-air missile systems and other projects for the military.
Following his retirement, he moved to his original homeplace in Wilkes County to be closer to family. There he participated as a member of the Corps of Cooperative Weather Observers for the National Weather Service for the past 20 years. While in Greensboro, he attended Calvary Baptist Church and joined the Freemasonry at the Grand Lodge of AF & AM of North Carolina. Upon returning to Wilkes County, he moved his membership to the Grassy Knob Lodge No. 471, Union Grove, where they honored him with the 50 year Veteran's Emblem.
Bill was a lifetime member of Mount Pisgah Baptist Church and served on a number of committees, including serving as Chairman of the Cemetery Committee and also the Building Committee, which oversaw the construction of the Fellowship Hall built in 1997.
Bill was preceded in death by his loving wife of 60 years, Cora Belle Henderson Davis.
He is survived by his son, Dr. Gary Sherman Davis; and daughter-in-law, Patricia Hight Davis of Raleigh. Bill was one of nine brothers and sisters, along with six half-brothers and sisters by Schuyler's first wife, Naomi McCarter. The surviving brothers and sisters are Isaac and Gurney Davis of North Wilkesboro, Margaret Souther and Lucille Holland of Statesville, and Virginia Leonard of Harmony. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, located on Highway 115, North Wilkesboro, with the Rev. Tony Bunton officiating.
Burial, with military honors by Post 1142 of Veterans of Foreign Wars and Masonic Rites by Grassy Knob Lodge 471, will be in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. this evening at Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, P.O. Box 68, Union Grove, NC 28689; or The 4-H Development Fund, c/o The Gary S. and Patricia H. Davis 4-H Poultry Science Scholarship, N.C. State University, Box 7606, Raleigh, NC 27695-7606.
Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home is handling all arrangements for the family.
Published in the Statesville Record & Landmark on 2/21/2009
His savior called John William "Bill" Davis, of Statesville Road, North Wilkesboro, home on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009.
He was born Dec. 29, 1925, in North Wilkesboro, Wilkes County, the son of Schuyler Colfax and Della Mae Souther Davis.
Bill voluntarily enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II and served in Gen. George S. Patton's 3rd Army. His service took him to five European countries: Scotland, England, France, Belgium and Germany. Over the Christmas of 1944, during the worst winter in a century in Europe, he participated in the relief of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. This battle was considered one of the most astonishing military operations of the war. Bill was injured in battle from the concussion of 88 mm shells fired from two German tiger tanks, and required hospitalization. He suffered frost bite to his legs and feet from the knee deep snow and 15° temperatures. He received the following medals: the Bronze, a Good Conduct Medal, Battle of the Bulge, Europe-Africa-ME Victory, and WWII Victory.
After being discharged honorably from the service, Bill and Cora Belle lived in Statesville, and then Virginia Beach, Va., where he worked for the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Bill retired from Western Electric Co./Bell Telephone Laboratories (now Lucent Technologies) in Greensboro, with 25 years of service. During his career, he was very proud to work on the Nike Ajax and Hercules surface-to-air missile systems and other projects for the military.
Following his retirement, he moved to his original homeplace in Wilkes County to be closer to family. There he participated as a member of the Corps of Cooperative Weather Observers for the National Weather Service for the past 20 years. While in Greensboro, he attended Calvary Baptist Church and joined the Freemasonry at the Grand Lodge of AF & AM of North Carolina. Upon returning to Wilkes County, he moved his membership to the Grassy Knob Lodge No. 471, Union Grove, where they honored him with the 50 year Veteran's Emblem.
Bill was a lifetime member of Mount Pisgah Baptist Church and served on a number of committees, including serving as Chairman of the Cemetery Committee and also the Building Committee, which oversaw the construction of the Fellowship Hall built in 1997.
Bill was preceded in death by his loving wife of 60 years, Cora Belle Henderson Davis.
He is survived by his son, Dr. Gary Sherman Davis; and daughter-in-law, Patricia Hight Davis of Raleigh. Bill was one of nine brothers and sisters, along with six half-brothers and sisters by Schuyler's first wife, Naomi McCarter. The surviving brothers and sisters are Isaac and Gurney Davis of North Wilkesboro, Margaret Souther and Lucille Holland of Statesville, and Virginia Leonard of Harmony. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, located on Highway 115, North Wilkesboro, with the Rev. Tony Bunton officiating.
Burial, with military honors by Post 1142 of Veterans of Foreign Wars and Masonic Rites by Grassy Knob Lodge 471, will be in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. this evening at Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, P.O. Box 68, Union Grove, NC 28689; or The 4-H Development Fund, c/o The Gary S. and Patricia H. Davis 4-H Poultry Science Scholarship, N.C. State University, Box 7606, Raleigh, NC 27695-7606.
Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home is handling all arrangements for the family.
Published in the Statesville Record & Landmark on 2/21/2009
He was born Dec. 29, 1925, in North Wilkesboro, Wilkes County, the son of Schuyler Colfax and Della Mae Souther Davis.
Bill voluntarily enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II and served in Gen. George S. Patton's 3rd Army. His service took him to five European countries: Scotland, England, France, Belgium and Germany. Over the Christmas of 1944, during the worst winter in a century in Europe, he participated in the relief of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. This battle was considered one of the most astonishing military operations of the war. Bill was injured in battle from the concussion of 88 mm shells fired from two German tiger tanks, and required hospitalization. He suffered frost bite to his legs and feet from the knee deep snow and 15° temperatures. He received the following medals: the Bronze, a Good Conduct Medal, Battle of the Bulge, Europe-Africa-ME Victory, and WWII Victory.
After being discharged honorably from the service, Bill and Cora Belle lived in Statesville, and then Virginia Beach, Va., where he worked for the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Bill retired from Western Electric Co./Bell Telephone Laboratories (now Lucent Technologies) in Greensboro, with 25 years of service. During his career, he was very proud to work on the Nike Ajax and Hercules surface-to-air missile systems and other projects for the military.
Following his retirement, he moved to his original homeplace in Wilkes County to be closer to family. There he participated as a member of the Corps of Cooperative Weather Observers for the National Weather Service for the past 20 years. While in Greensboro, he attended Calvary Baptist Church and joined the Freemasonry at the Grand Lodge of AF & AM of North Carolina. Upon returning to Wilkes County, he moved his membership to the Grassy Knob Lodge No. 471, Union Grove, where they honored him with the 50 year Veteran's Emblem.
Bill was a lifetime member of Mount Pisgah Baptist Church and served on a number of committees, including serving as Chairman of the Cemetery Committee and also the Building Committee, which oversaw the construction of the Fellowship Hall built in 1997.
Bill was preceded in death by his loving wife of 60 years, Cora Belle Henderson Davis.
He is survived by his son, Dr. Gary Sherman Davis; and daughter-in-law, Patricia Hight Davis of Raleigh. Bill was one of nine brothers and sisters, along with six half-brothers and sisters by Schuyler's first wife, Naomi McCarter. The surviving brothers and sisters are Isaac and Gurney Davis of North Wilkesboro, Margaret Souther and Lucille Holland of Statesville, and Virginia Leonard of Harmony. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, located on Highway 115, North Wilkesboro, with the Rev. Tony Bunton officiating.
Burial, with military honors by Post 1142 of Veterans of Foreign Wars and Masonic Rites by Grassy Knob Lodge 471, will be in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. this evening at Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, P.O. Box 68, Union Grove, NC 28689; or The 4-H Development Fund, c/o The Gary S. and Patricia H. Davis 4-H Poultry Science Scholarship, N.C. State University, Box 7606, Raleigh, NC 27695-7606.
Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home is handling all arrangements for the family.
Published in the Statesville Record & Landmark on 2/21/2009
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
