Coil, Vernon Lee (1921-1944)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1945 Mar 8 p. 3

Birth date: 1921 Jan 22

text of obituary:

VERNON LEE COIL

Memorial services for Vernon Lee Coil were held at the First Mennonite church of Geary, Okla., Sunday, Feb. 4, 1945, conducted by Rev. H. N. Harder, pastor and assisted by Dr. Chesterfiedl Turner, pastor of the First Baptist church.

Vernon Lee Coil, only son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Coil, was born at Geary, Oklahoma, January 22, 1921, and was killed while on a combat flight over Italy on April 25, 1944, at the age of 23 years, three months, and three days.

Vernon Lee grew to young manhood in the parental home at Geary. At the age of 13 he accepted Christ as his personal Savior and was baptized on June 25, 1933, when he also was united with the First Mennonite church. He was a faithful member of this church to the very end.

He was graduated from the Geary High school with the class of 1938. In the fall of 1940 he went to work for Douglas Air Croft Co. at Santa Monica, California. Here he word until December, 1942. On January 10, 1943 he was united in marriage to Miss Marion Hall of Geary, Oklahoma. One child, Vernon Lee, Jr., was born to this union on January 4, 1944.

On March 8, 1943 he answered the country's call and was inducted into the Air Corps.

It was God's will that he left this world without having looked upon the face of his son. On April 25, while on their combat flight mission, German fighter planes swarmed into the air over Cessena [sic Cesena], Italy, and their plane was shot down. On May 16 the War Department reported him as missing, but on January 5 another message from the department reported him as having been killed.

Vernon Lee Coil is survived by his wife, Mrs. Marion Coil and son, Vernon Lee, Jr., the father and mother all of Geary, Oklahoma and one sister, Mrs. Lucile McManus, of Oklahoma City, and also a host of other relatives and friends.

The Mennonite obituary: 1945 Mar 13 p. 12