US ARMY - WORLD WAR II
Abie Abraham, 98, of Renfrew, died Thursday afternoon, March 22, 2012, at the Butler Memorial Hospital. Born July 31, 1913, in Lyndora, he was a son of the late Elias and Esther (Thomson) Abraham. A decorated World War II veteran, Abie had enlisted in the Navy then the Army in 1932. He had served in the Philippines, China, Germany and Panama, where he became lightweight boxing champ and trainer. He fought, was captured, endured the Bataan Death March, and was a POW for 3 1/2 years. Before returning the States, Abie stayed 2 1/2 years to recover many of his fallen comrades from the Death March, helping to identify them and to assure they were properly laid to rest. After returning to the United States, he served as a recruiter, then two years in Germany until retiring with 30 years of service as a first sergeant. He also worked as a bartender and a foreman for the PennDOT and the Highway Department in the 1960's. Abie is in the Guiness Book of Records for tree sitting in Alameda Park, wrote his first book, "Ghost of Bataan Speaks" in 1971, his second book, "Oh God Where Are You" in 1997, his intent was to help the public better understand what took place to our brave men at the hands of the hands of the Japanese as POWs. Abie had received numerous medals for his service, including the Purple Heart, and was a recipient of the Ellis Island Family Heritage Award in 2003. He had several documentaries on the Discovery Channel and the History Channel. He was a life member of the VFW, the American Legion, the Purple Heart Combat/Infantry Organization, the Ex-POW Organization, the Disabled American Veterans, the American Defenders of Bataan, the Lyndora Fire Department, and the PA Forest Warden. He was a volunteer at the Butler VA Medical Center since 1988, having more than 38,000 hours, as one of his favorite pastimes was helping other veterans. Surviving are his wife, Christine (Vawryk) Abraham, whom he married Aug. 3, 2009; three daughters, Lily (Al) Zeitziff, of Reno, Nev., Edith Maria Mullen, of the Philippines, and Mildred Collis, of Keystone, Fla.; 11 grandchildren; a number of great-grandchildren; and several great-great-grandchildren; and two stepsons, John David Wolf, of Jennings, Okla., and Daniel P. (Irma) Wolf, of California. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Felicidad Fely "Nancy" Abraham, who died in 1983; two sisters; and eight brothers. Friends will be received from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday and from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at the GEIBEL FUNERAL HOME, 201 East Cunningham St., Butler. Funeral services will be held at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Anthony Antiochian Orthodox Church, Pillow Street, Butler. The Rev. Bogdan Bucur, pastor, will officiate. Burial will be in Arlington National Cemetery.
Valley News Dispatch, Tarentum 3/24/2012
Plot Information provided By J Edward Ross
Abie Abraham, 98, of Renfrew, died Thursday afternoon, March 22, 2012, at the Butler Memorial Hospital. Born July 31, 1913, in Lyndora, he was a son of the late Elias and Esther (Thomson) Abraham. A decorated World War II veteran, Abie had enlisted in the Navy then the Army in 1932. He had served in the Philippines, China, Germany and Panama, where he became lightweight boxing champ and trainer. He fought, was captured, endured the Bataan Death March, and was a POW for 3 1/2 years. Before returning the States, Abie stayed 2 1/2 years to recover many of his fallen comrades from the Death March, helping to identify them and to assure they were properly laid to rest. After returning to the United States, he served as a recruiter, then two years in Germany until retiring with 30 years of service as a first sergeant. He also worked as a bartender and a foreman for the PennDOT and the Highway Department in the 1960's. Abie is in the Guiness Book of Records for tree sitting in Alameda Park, wrote his first book, "Ghost of Bataan Speaks" in 1971, his second book, "Oh God Where Are You" in 1997, his intent was to help the public better understand what took place to our brave men at the hands of the hands of the Japanese as POWs. Abie had received numerous medals for his service, including the Purple Heart, and was a recipient of the Ellis Island Family Heritage Award in 2003. He had several documentaries on the Discovery Channel and the History Channel. He was a life member of the VFW, the American Legion, the Purple Heart Combat/Infantry Organization, the Ex-POW Organization, the Disabled American Veterans, the American Defenders of Bataan, the Lyndora Fire Department, and the PA Forest Warden. He was a volunteer at the Butler VA Medical Center since 1988, having more than 38,000 hours, as one of his favorite pastimes was helping other veterans. Surviving are his wife, Christine (Vawryk) Abraham, whom he married Aug. 3, 2009; three daughters, Lily (Al) Zeitziff, of Reno, Nev., Edith Maria Mullen, of the Philippines, and Mildred Collis, of Keystone, Fla.; 11 grandchildren; a number of great-grandchildren; and several great-great-grandchildren; and two stepsons, John David Wolf, of Jennings, Okla., and Daniel P. (Irma) Wolf, of California. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Felicidad Fely "Nancy" Abraham, who died in 1983; two sisters; and eight brothers. Friends will be received from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday and from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at the GEIBEL FUNERAL HOME, 201 East Cunningham St., Butler. Funeral services will be held at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Anthony Antiochian Orthodox Church, Pillow Street, Butler. The Rev. Bogdan Bucur, pastor, will officiate. Burial will be in Arlington National Cemetery.
Valley News Dispatch, Tarentum 3/24/2012
Plot Information provided By J Edward Ross
US ARMY - WORLD WAR II
Abie Abraham, 98, of Renfrew, died Thursday afternoon, March 22, 2012, at the Butler Memorial Hospital. Born July 31, 1913, in Lyndora, he was a son of the late Elias and Esther (Thomson) Abraham. A decorated World War II veteran, Abie had enlisted in the Navy then the Army in 1932. He had served in the Philippines, China, Germany and Panama, where he became lightweight boxing champ and trainer. He fought, was captured, endured the Bataan Death March, and was a POW for 3 1/2 years. Before returning the States, Abie stayed 2 1/2 years to recover many of his fallen comrades from the Death March, helping to identify them and to assure they were properly laid to rest. After returning to the United States, he served as a recruiter, then two years in Germany until retiring with 30 years of service as a first sergeant. He also worked as a bartender and a foreman for the PennDOT and the Highway Department in the 1960's. Abie is in the Guiness Book of Records for tree sitting in Alameda Park, wrote his first book, "Ghost of Bataan Speaks" in 1971, his second book, "Oh God Where Are You" in 1997, his intent was to help the public better understand what took place to our brave men at the hands of the hands of the Japanese as POWs. Abie had received numerous medals for his service, including the Purple Heart, and was a recipient of the Ellis Island Family Heritage Award in 2003. He had several documentaries on the Discovery Channel and the History Channel. He was a life member of the VFW, the American Legion, the Purple Heart Combat/Infantry Organization, the Ex-POW Organization, the Disabled American Veterans, the American Defenders of Bataan, the Lyndora Fire Department, and the PA Forest Warden. He was a volunteer at the Butler VA Medical Center since 1988, having more than 38,000 hours, as one of his favorite pastimes was helping other veterans. Surviving are his wife, Christine (Vawryk) Abraham, whom he married Aug. 3, 2009; three daughters, Lily (Al) Zeitziff, of Reno, Nev., Edith Maria Mullen, of the Philippines, and Mildred Collis, of Keystone, Fla.; 11 grandchildren; a number of great-grandchildren; and several great-great-grandchildren; and two stepsons, John David Wolf, of Jennings, Okla., and Daniel P. (Irma) Wolf, of California. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Felicidad Fely "Nancy" Abraham, who died in 1983; two sisters; and eight brothers. Friends will be received from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday and from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at the GEIBEL FUNERAL HOME, 201 East Cunningham St., Butler. Funeral services will be held at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Anthony Antiochian Orthodox Church, Pillow Street, Butler. The Rev. Bogdan Bucur, pastor, will officiate. Burial will be in Arlington National Cemetery.
Valley News Dispatch, Tarentum 3/24/2012
Plot Information provided By J Edward Ross
Abie Abraham, 98, of Renfrew, died Thursday afternoon, March 22, 2012, at the Butler Memorial Hospital. Born July 31, 1913, in Lyndora, he was a son of the late Elias and Esther (Thomson) Abraham. A decorated World War II veteran, Abie had enlisted in the Navy then the Army in 1932. He had served in the Philippines, China, Germany and Panama, where he became lightweight boxing champ and trainer. He fought, was captured, endured the Bataan Death March, and was a POW for 3 1/2 years. Before returning the States, Abie stayed 2 1/2 years to recover many of his fallen comrades from the Death March, helping to identify them and to assure they were properly laid to rest. After returning to the United States, he served as a recruiter, then two years in Germany until retiring with 30 years of service as a first sergeant. He also worked as a bartender and a foreman for the PennDOT and the Highway Department in the 1960's. Abie is in the Guiness Book of Records for tree sitting in Alameda Park, wrote his first book, "Ghost of Bataan Speaks" in 1971, his second book, "Oh God Where Are You" in 1997, his intent was to help the public better understand what took place to our brave men at the hands of the hands of the Japanese as POWs. Abie had received numerous medals for his service, including the Purple Heart, and was a recipient of the Ellis Island Family Heritage Award in 2003. He had several documentaries on the Discovery Channel and the History Channel. He was a life member of the VFW, the American Legion, the Purple Heart Combat/Infantry Organization, the Ex-POW Organization, the Disabled American Veterans, the American Defenders of Bataan, the Lyndora Fire Department, and the PA Forest Warden. He was a volunteer at the Butler VA Medical Center since 1988, having more than 38,000 hours, as one of his favorite pastimes was helping other veterans. Surviving are his wife, Christine (Vawryk) Abraham, whom he married Aug. 3, 2009; three daughters, Lily (Al) Zeitziff, of Reno, Nev., Edith Maria Mullen, of the Philippines, and Mildred Collis, of Keystone, Fla.; 11 grandchildren; a number of great-grandchildren; and several great-great-grandchildren; and two stepsons, John David Wolf, of Jennings, Okla., and Daniel P. (Irma) Wolf, of California. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Felicidad Fely "Nancy" Abraham, who died in 1983; two sisters; and eight brothers. Friends will be received from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday and from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at the GEIBEL FUNERAL HOME, 201 East Cunningham St., Butler. Funeral services will be held at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Anthony Antiochian Orthodox Church, Pillow Street, Butler. The Rev. Bogdan Bucur, pastor, will officiate. Burial will be in Arlington National Cemetery.
Valley News Dispatch, Tarentum 3/24/2012
Plot Information provided By J Edward Ross
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