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Show Page Four THE CENTERVILLE NEWSETTE Clyde Decker Meets Death Wendell Nessen Killed FROM PAGE ONE FROM PAGE ONE his favorite pasttimes, and when he was in Utah he spent much time in the mountains. Clyde felt that he should get in and do his part, so in December, 1942, he was given a leave of absence from the college and joined the Navy to become an officer, going to Tucson for the indoctrination course. Terese went down to see him graduate as an Ensign. He was later raised to the rank of Lt. (j. g.). After that he was sent to Oklahoma as a transportation officer. Then an opportunity came for him to go into what he loved flying, and he was sent h to Indiana to take the training course to be a navy air instructor. After completion of this, he spent about 6 month each at Dallas, Texas, and New Orleans, La., and then was sent in May of this year to Livermore, California. On July 31, he was fatally injured in a plane crash. His body was brought to Centerville, accompanied by a naval es- began while at Davis High. He used his knowledge of this tongue in trading with the German speaking native chiefs for fruit and other foods for his battalion in his capacity of mess officer and train commander. To illustrate how he was able to win friends, one particular old chief called him his number one friend, Joe. From this venerable man Wendell learned much about the native customs. nine-mont- cort, for burial in the Centerville cemetery. A beautiful service was conduct- ed in the Ward Chapel by Bishop Duncan. Taps were sounded at the cemetery and his casket was draped with an American flag, which was afterward presented by the escort to Mrs. Decker. Terese and their Robert, are her parents. son, at present living with New officers have been chosen to lead the M. I. A. Young Ladies Mutual officers are: President, Mavis Clayton; counselors, Maxine Reeves and Grace Tingey; secretary, Helen Allen. Young Mens Mutual officers are: President, L e 1 a n d Halvorsen ; counselors, Therice Duncan and Willis Lay-tosecretary, Elgin Rigby. n; Loyal Bettridge, star Rio Grande outfielder, has just climaxed a hot week of baseball with the announcement from Cal Woolley, Amateur Federation secretary, that Loyal won the League batting champion- ship with a nifty mark of .477 On August 25 he got 2 hits and drove in 3 runs to help D&RGW defeat Crescent for the Amateur title. Earlier he got 3 for 5 and 2 for 4, for a total of 7 hits in 14 times at bat, which is a .500 batting average for three games. US.A CAR of us who are away in the service. You dont know how much your letters and your finest of all contributions to our welfare, The Newsette, means to us. It sure is wonderful to be able to get first hand news of happenings at home. Id like to tell you a bit about New Guinea. No doubt some of the other fellows from Centerville who are over here have told you some. Its really a very beautiful place with lots of very green vegetation tangled all over coral rock. There are a few often, and the mud quickly changes to the consistency of peanut butter. We havent mixed it up with the enemy yet, but I suppose our chance will come soon. I am still in the Field Artillery and have been doing a lot of demolition work. We reprint part of a recent letter to his folks which gives us an insight into his thoughts and philosophy: Folks, there really isnt much to talk about except that I miss you all and wish that I could be with you tonight just be with you, to see you and talk to you and my sweet wife. That surely isnt much to ask, its the sort of thing people who live normal lives are doing every night. It isnt like asking for riclfes or fame or something else that we ordinarily regard as unattainable. Yet it seems that it is just as impossible to realize as any of the others I mentioned. na-rai- ns Dont forget that we all love our old town and, personally, I wouldnt trade the town dump for the whole of New Guinea. I hope you will tell those of my friends who are also away hello for me. My best wishes to every Center-villit- e. Wendell was married to Lorraine Lallis of Bountiful, Nov. 21, 1942. Survivors include his widow, a daughter, Joan; his parMr. and Mrs. Alvin Nessen; ents, four brothers, Lt. Kenneth Nessen, Douglas Arizona; Reed, Robert and Russell Nessen, all of Centerville, and two sisters, Jean and Lola Nessen, Centerville. Its truly a shame that we must have to wars take us from our homes and loved ones and send us to strange lands to fight people we dont even know, people were not even mad at wars that take some away from home never to return again, never to be reunited with their loved ones. They are buried in distant parts. It New M. I. A. Officers Chosen f'wTe September, 1944 PRINTING CO.. BOUNTIFUL. UTAH is all so hard to understand and seems so unnecessary and useless. I suppose that all we can do is hope and pray for the day when men become masters of them-- , selves, their vices, their ideas, dif-ferences, emotions and thoughts, and are able to settle their problems and differences in some bloodless manner. We must believe that there will be such a day and hope that it will come soon enough to stop the devastation that now has the world in its throes. That time, I believe, will be when God comes again to rule the world justly and wisely. Or possibly men may sometime become enough imbued with His spirit and knowledge that they righteous world of this chaos. will be a ble to make a sane and What a sermon. in- We know that you will be intensely interested to read his last message to you, his friends and neighbors, so we print it herewith: To the dear friends of Centerville, I thought it proper that I thank you for the fine considera tion that you have shown those Mrs. Wendell Nessen and daughter, Jovan, |