Merlin Howard Dittmer, 85, died on Wednesday, Jan. 11. He was a resident of Shelton since 1964.
Dittmer was born in Everett, on June 29, 1926, to mother Myrtle Campbell (Find A Grave Memorial# 84114122), who died two days later of birth complications. Shortly afterwards Merlin was adopted by John H. W. and Louise Dittmer of Snohomish.
He attended Zion Lutheran School of Snohomish until just after the outbreak of World War II. Early in1942 at age 15, he quit school and joined the Army Transport Service (ATS). At that time the ATS delivered supplies to Army bases in Alaska from the Seattle area. At 16, he joined the United States Navy and was sent to boot camp at Camp Farragut on Lake Pend Oreille north of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. After completing boot camp he was assigned to the fleet repair ship U.S.S. Vestal, AR-4. He served the rest of World War II in the Pacific Theatre onboard the Vestal. During this time the Vestal's crew performed repairs on battle damaged U.S. and Australian Navy ships. In 1945 the Vestal endured the typhoon that hit Okinawa. He was a ship fitter and he attained the rank of second-class petty officer. While on board the Vestal, he was one of the ship fitters who performed much of the underwater diving/welding to battle-damaged ships.
He married Peggy O. Price on Dec. 7, 1946, in St. John's Episcopal Church, Snohomish.
In 1964, following a promotion to Corrections Sgt. at the Monroe Reformatory, he was transferred to the new correctional facility just outside Shelton.
He was life member of the VFW and held a variety of local and state offices within the VFW. He received several awards for his volunteer work with the VFW's Buddy Poppy program.
He is survived by his sons Dan Dittmer of Belfair and Mack Dittmer of Bucoda; daughter Kathy of Bucoda; 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Wife Peggy and son Terry preceded him in death.
A VFW post 1964 graveside ceremony is tentatively scheduled at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Shelton Memorial Park in Shelton.
Shelton-Mason County Journal, Thursday, January 19, 2012, Page B-7
Dittmer was born in Everett, on June 29, 1926, to mother Myrtle Campbell (Find A Grave Memorial# 84114122), who died two days later of birth complications. Shortly afterwards Merlin was adopted by John H. W. and Louise Dittmer of Snohomish.
He attended Zion Lutheran School of Snohomish until just after the outbreak of World War II. Early in1942 at age 15, he quit school and joined the Army Transport Service (ATS). At that time the ATS delivered supplies to Army bases in Alaska from the Seattle area. At 16, he joined the United States Navy and was sent to boot camp at Camp Farragut on Lake Pend Oreille north of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. After completing boot camp he was assigned to the fleet repair ship U.S.S. Vestal, AR-4. He served the rest of World War II in the Pacific Theatre onboard the Vestal. During this time the Vestal's crew performed repairs on battle damaged U.S. and Australian Navy ships. In 1945 the Vestal endured the typhoon that hit Okinawa. He was a ship fitter and he attained the rank of second-class petty officer. While on board the Vestal, he was one of the ship fitters who performed much of the underwater diving/welding to battle-damaged ships.
He married Peggy O. Price on Dec. 7, 1946, in St. John's Episcopal Church, Snohomish.
In 1964, following a promotion to Corrections Sgt. at the Monroe Reformatory, he was transferred to the new correctional facility just outside Shelton.
He was life member of the VFW and held a variety of local and state offices within the VFW. He received several awards for his volunteer work with the VFW's Buddy Poppy program.
He is survived by his sons Dan Dittmer of Belfair and Mack Dittmer of Bucoda; daughter Kathy of Bucoda; 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Wife Peggy and son Terry preceded him in death.
A VFW post 1964 graveside ceremony is tentatively scheduled at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Shelton Memorial Park in Shelton.
Shelton-Mason County Journal, Thursday, January 19, 2012, Page B-7
Merlin Howard Dittmer, 85, died on Wednesday, Jan. 11. He was a resident of Shelton since 1964.
Dittmer was born in Everett, on June 29, 1926, to mother Myrtle Campbell (Find A Grave Memorial# 84114122), who died two days later of birth complications. Shortly afterwards Merlin was adopted by John H. W. and Louise Dittmer of Snohomish.
He attended Zion Lutheran School of Snohomish until just after the outbreak of World War II. Early in1942 at age 15, he quit school and joined the Army Transport Service (ATS). At that time the ATS delivered supplies to Army bases in Alaska from the Seattle area. At 16, he joined the United States Navy and was sent to boot camp at Camp Farragut on Lake Pend Oreille north of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. After completing boot camp he was assigned to the fleet repair ship U.S.S. Vestal, AR-4. He served the rest of World War II in the Pacific Theatre onboard the Vestal. During this time the Vestal's crew performed repairs on battle damaged U.S. and Australian Navy ships. In 1945 the Vestal endured the typhoon that hit Okinawa. He was a ship fitter and he attained the rank of second-class petty officer. While on board the Vestal, he was one of the ship fitters who performed much of the underwater diving/welding to battle-damaged ships.
He married Peggy O. Price on Dec. 7, 1946, in St. John's Episcopal Church, Snohomish.
In 1964, following a promotion to Corrections Sgt. at the Monroe Reformatory, he was transferred to the new correctional facility just outside Shelton.
He was life member of the VFW and held a variety of local and state offices within the VFW. He received several awards for his volunteer work with the VFW's Buddy Poppy program.
He is survived by his sons Dan Dittmer of Belfair and Mack Dittmer of Bucoda; daughter Kathy of Bucoda; 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Wife Peggy and son Terry preceded him in death.
A VFW post 1964 graveside ceremony is tentatively scheduled at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Shelton Memorial Park in Shelton.
Shelton-Mason County Journal, Thursday, January 19, 2012, Page B-7
Dittmer was born in Everett, on June 29, 1926, to mother Myrtle Campbell (Find A Grave Memorial# 84114122), who died two days later of birth complications. Shortly afterwards Merlin was adopted by John H. W. and Louise Dittmer of Snohomish.
He attended Zion Lutheran School of Snohomish until just after the outbreak of World War II. Early in1942 at age 15, he quit school and joined the Army Transport Service (ATS). At that time the ATS delivered supplies to Army bases in Alaska from the Seattle area. At 16, he joined the United States Navy and was sent to boot camp at Camp Farragut on Lake Pend Oreille north of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. After completing boot camp he was assigned to the fleet repair ship U.S.S. Vestal, AR-4. He served the rest of World War II in the Pacific Theatre onboard the Vestal. During this time the Vestal's crew performed repairs on battle damaged U.S. and Australian Navy ships. In 1945 the Vestal endured the typhoon that hit Okinawa. He was a ship fitter and he attained the rank of second-class petty officer. While on board the Vestal, he was one of the ship fitters who performed much of the underwater diving/welding to battle-damaged ships.
He married Peggy O. Price on Dec. 7, 1946, in St. John's Episcopal Church, Snohomish.
In 1964, following a promotion to Corrections Sgt. at the Monroe Reformatory, he was transferred to the new correctional facility just outside Shelton.
He was life member of the VFW and held a variety of local and state offices within the VFW. He received several awards for his volunteer work with the VFW's Buddy Poppy program.
He is survived by his sons Dan Dittmer of Belfair and Mack Dittmer of Bucoda; daughter Kathy of Bucoda; 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Wife Peggy and son Terry preceded him in death.
A VFW post 1964 graveside ceremony is tentatively scheduled at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Shelton Memorial Park in Shelton.
Shelton-Mason County Journal, Thursday, January 19, 2012, Page B-7
Gravesite Details
No marker as of November 2014. Flowers approximate site, his wife's marker is to right side of photograph.
Family Members
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