WWII vets, friends die hours apart
Two World War II ABILENE veterans from different families who attended the same church, died within hours of each other this week.
The Siewert and the Schkade boys — four from each family — plus three Siewert brothers-inlaw, all served in World War II. The final two — one from each family — died Monday and Tuesday.
Alvin Siewert, 92, died about 10 p.m. Monday. Oscar Schkade, 98, died at 12:40 a.m. Tuesday.
Relatives from both families expressed sorrow at the veterans’ passing and admiration for the lives they led.
Schkade’s son Brent said that despite growing up during the Great Depression and serving in the war, his father was a happy man.
“He was always an optimist,” Brent Schkade said, “through the hard times and good times.”
Trish Bruneau, daughter of Alvin Siewert, said that her father “was a beautiful man” and that “he had a wonderful life.”
Besides their war connection, the two men were longtime members of Zion Lutheran Church in Abilene, where services for both will be held.
Two of their brothers, who also served in the war and were members of Zion Lutheran, died within the past two years. Clarence Schkade died in August 2015. Clarence Siewert died in February 2016.
The other two Schkade brothers who served in World War II were Bernhard, or “Bennie,” who was killed in the Battle of the Bulge, the last major German offensive of the war, and Richard, who died a few years ago.
The other two Siewert brothers were Edgar and Harry, who also are deceased.
The Schkade boys grew up on a farm near Albany, Texas, and after the war, Oscar, Clarence and Richard formed the Schkade Brothers Operating Co., an oil production company.
Both Alvin Siewert and Oscar Schkade were members of the Army Air Corps during the war. Schkade didn’t go overseas, but served at several bases as chief of a mechanic crew for P-38s. A favorite family story is that Schkade’s commanding officer requested he be the mechanic for his personal plane.
Alvin Siewert served from 1942 to 1945 in Belgium, France and Germany. He was awarded a Silver Star and five Bronze Stars.