Fred Lehmann

Graveside Services for Fred C. Lehmann, 94, of Mena, Arkansas, formerly of Dickinson, ND will be 10 a. m. , Monday, November 2, 2009 at Dickinson Cemetery with Pastor Steve Schou officiating. Military Rites will be provided by the Dickinson Drill Team. Fred passed away from this life to his eternal home on October 26, 2009 at the Rich Mountain Nursing and Rehab Center. Mr. Lehmann was born April 19, 1915, one of seven children born to Paul and Eugenia Lehmann. He grew up on a farm in a German speaking household in Richardton, ND. Times were hard and he had to leave school at the end of the eighth grade to help the family survive on the farm. The weather in the wintertime was 30 to 60 degrees below zero. He remembered going to school by sled or wagon, depending on the depth of the snow. With an inquisitive mind and thirst for knowledge, he was a self-educated man who later passed all the necessary tests to receive a High School Diploma. He learned to speak three languages, English, German and Spanish. He served his country in the U. S. Army, 271st Field Artillery. He entered the service on February 6, 1942 and was discharged November 5, 1946. He was wounded in active duty on December 2, 1944 in the Philippine Island of Leyte. He spent the remaining 23 months in hospitals recovering from his wounds. He received his discharge from O?Reilly General Hospital in Springfield, MO. His military service decorations and citations include: AP Theatre Ribbon, two Bronze Battle Stars, one Bronze Arrowhead, American Theatre Ribbon, Phillippine Liberation Ribbon, one Bronze Star, Bronze Service Star Medal and the Purple Heart. Not long after the handsome, decorated war hero returned home to North Dakota, he met the love of his life, Jaunita Jauss. They were married on October 28, 1948. Their marriage adventure spanned a half a century where they had permanent residences in North Dakota, Minnesota, lived one winter in California, South Texas and ended with 20 years in Mena, Arkansas. Jaunita preceded him in death on June 3, 2000. He is survived by one nephew, Gene Phillippi and his wife Sheryl, St. Paul, MN. He is also survived by his caregivers for the past eight years, Erma and Bernie Mize. Mr. Lehmann was a member of the Lutheran Church. In his 94 years of life, he experienced many different weather extremes, but only one tornado. That was the devastating tornado that ripped through Mena on April 9, 2009. Although he was unharmed, his house sustained considerable damage. He lived in the home of his caregivers for 50 days while his home was being repaired. Although he could not see the ?new look? of his home, he enjoyed the feel of the new carpet under his feet and happily returned to the normalcy of his life. On October 5, 2009, that normalcy changed with the onset of pneumonia. He was a patient in Mena Regional Health Care System from October 5 to October 9, when he was transferred to Rich Mountain Nursing and Rehabilitation where he was cared for until his death.


Burial Date: November 2, 2009
Funeral Home Dickinson, ND

Graveside Service: Monday, Dickinson Cemetery Dickinson, ND