1917
Leroy
2015
Leroy Kleinfelter
October 17, 1917 — December 16, 2015
Leroy Samuel Kleinfelter born in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania on October 17, 1917 was the son of Robert Kleinfelter and Susan Ulrich. His younger siblings were Bertha, Bob, Dottie, Ted and Emma.
He began his schooling in a one room building however during the first year the family moved to Butler County near Pittsburgh where his father had an interest in a coal mine.
The family moved back to Lebanon County a few years later where his father resumed farming plus a lumber business in which he supplied mining timbers to Bethlehem Steel.
In 1930 their father was murdered leaving his mother and 5 younger siblings. This was the height of the depression, and the mines were closing and the lumber business went bankrupt leaving his mother with no
assets.Two years later his family was broken up. Roy dropped out of school after 8th grade and worked as a short order cook in an uncle's restaurant. At the age of 17 he was able to enter high school and graduated 2nd in his class. He was offered two scholarships but felt he needed to support his mother and younger siblings so he went to work in the local iron mines.
Roy's job at the mines and his head of the house status earned him a deferment from military service and when he attempted to enlist in the army he was turned down, however the Marine Corp did accept him as an enlistee and he began his service in WWII in 1942. After boot camp he was sent to Philadelphia to attend a communication school run by Bell of PA for the Marine Corps. He was then shipped to California for advanced combat training and was assigned to the communication platoon (24th Regiment 4th Division) to provide telephone lines to the various combat units. Over the next 18 months he made the landings on Roi-Namur, Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima, and was awarded two Bronze Stars.
After Iwo Jima, he was sent back to the states to Officer Candidate School. When the bomb was dropped on Japan, he was given the choice of accepting his commission (which required serving two years in Japan) or discharge. He had just met his future wife Polly when he had returned to US for OCS and thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever met, so he took the discharge. He and Polly were married on Dec 9th, 1945 and they shared 57 years together. They had one daughter Diana.
When he attended the communication school the administrator had told him that after the war they would hire him, so after OCS, he began his career with Bell Telephone of PA as a linemen working in West Chester, PA at a salary of $27 a week. Over the years he had several assignments in engineering and construction management and finally to Corporate Claims manager. He retired from the Bell of Pennsylvania in 1981 after 36 years of service.
In addition to a varied work career, Roy and Polly were very active in their community, with leadership in Scouting (both Boy and Girl Scouts). Roy was president of the PTA. They were active in their church, serving as Sunday school teachers, youth group advisers as well as roles of leadership in various expansion church projects. Roy was also a charter member of the Willistown United Methodist Church near West Chester and chaired that church's building committee.
Roy was also very active in the Chester County Republican Committee. He was a Master Mason for 58 years and had membership in Lodges in West Chester, Pa and Round Rock, TX
In 2007 Roy celebrated his 90th birthday by moving to Round Rock, Texas so that he could be closer to his daughter Diana and son in law Galen (and their two poodles). He joined the Discovery United Methodist Church in Hutto, TX
In addition to his work and church commitments, Roy was an avid gardener and fisherman.
Visitation will be held 9:00-11:00 AM Tuesday, December 22, 2015 at Willistown United Methodist Church, 6051 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square, PA 19073 with the funeral service immediately following at 11:00 AM. Interment will be private at Indiantown Gap National Veterans Cemetery in Annville, PA.
Memoral Service 10:00 AM Saturday, January 16, 2016 at Discovery United Methodist Church in Hutto, TX
In lieu of flowers memorial Contributions are requested to Willistown United Methodist Church at the above address or to the Salvation Army.
Willistown United Methodist Church
6051 West Chester Pike
Newtown Square
PA 19073
,
He began his schooling in a one room building however during the first year the family moved to Butler County near Pittsburgh where his father had an interest in a coal mine.
The family moved back to Lebanon County a few years later where his father resumed farming plus a lumber business in which he supplied mining timbers to Bethlehem Steel.
In 1930 their father was murdered leaving his mother and 5 younger siblings. This was the height of the depression, and the mines were closing and the lumber business went bankrupt leaving his mother with no
assets.Two years later his family was broken up. Roy dropped out of school after 8th grade and worked as a short order cook in an uncle's restaurant. At the age of 17 he was able to enter high school and graduated 2nd in his class. He was offered two scholarships but felt he needed to support his mother and younger siblings so he went to work in the local iron mines.
Roy's job at the mines and his head of the house status earned him a deferment from military service and when he attempted to enlist in the army he was turned down, however the Marine Corp did accept him as an enlistee and he began his service in WWII in 1942. After boot camp he was sent to Philadelphia to attend a communication school run by Bell of PA for the Marine Corps. He was then shipped to California for advanced combat training and was assigned to the communication platoon (24th Regiment 4th Division) to provide telephone lines to the various combat units. Over the next 18 months he made the landings on Roi-Namur, Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima, and was awarded two Bronze Stars.
After Iwo Jima, he was sent back to the states to Officer Candidate School. When the bomb was dropped on Japan, he was given the choice of accepting his commission (which required serving two years in Japan) or discharge. He had just met his future wife Polly when he had returned to US for OCS and thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever met, so he took the discharge. He and Polly were married on Dec 9th, 1945 and they shared 57 years together. They had one daughter Diana.
When he attended the communication school the administrator had told him that after the war they would hire him, so after OCS, he began his career with Bell Telephone of PA as a linemen working in West Chester, PA at a salary of $27 a week. Over the years he had several assignments in engineering and construction management and finally to Corporate Claims manager. He retired from the Bell of Pennsylvania in 1981 after 36 years of service.
In addition to a varied work career, Roy and Polly were very active in their community, with leadership in Scouting (both Boy and Girl Scouts). Roy was president of the PTA. They were active in their church, serving as Sunday school teachers, youth group advisers as well as roles of leadership in various expansion church projects. Roy was also a charter member of the Willistown United Methodist Church near West Chester and chaired that church's building committee.
Roy was also very active in the Chester County Republican Committee. He was a Master Mason for 58 years and had membership in Lodges in West Chester, Pa and Round Rock, TX
In 2007 Roy celebrated his 90th birthday by moving to Round Rock, Texas so that he could be closer to his daughter Diana and son in law Galen (and their two poodles). He joined the Discovery United Methodist Church in Hutto, TX
In addition to his work and church commitments, Roy was an avid gardener and fisherman.
Visitation will be held 9:00-11:00 AM Tuesday, December 22, 2015 at Willistown United Methodist Church, 6051 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square, PA 19073 with the funeral service immediately following at 11:00 AM. Interment will be private at Indiantown Gap National Veterans Cemetery in Annville, PA.
Memoral Service 10:00 AM Saturday, January 16, 2016 at Discovery United Methodist Church in Hutto, TX
In lieu of flowers memorial Contributions are requested to Willistown United Methodist Church at the above address or to the Salvation Army.
Funeral Service
Tuesday, December 22, 2015 11:00 AMWillistown United Methodist Church
6051 West Chester Pike
Newtown Square
PA 19073
,
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