Ret. Lt. Col. Leroy B. Ewing

Leroy Bennett Ewing 83, of Urich, MO died July 18, 2013 under the loving care of Continua Hospice and the staff at Carnegie Village in Belton, Missouri.
Lee was born south of Urich, Missouri on October 25, 1929. He was one of 13 children of James R and Lillian Gray Ewing. He graduated from Urich High School in May 1947. Three days after graduation he departed by train from Clinton to Fort Riley, Kansas where he was inducted into the Army for a three year term.
After basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky he was assigned to Fort Benning, Georgia for duty with the Infantry School. On September 10, 1949 he was joined in marriage to Hazel Elizabeth Hipple; in October he went back to Fort Riley to attend the Army Officers Candidate School. He graduated in April 1950 and was commissioned as Second Lieutenant of Infantry. His first assignment was to attend the Infantry Officers Basic Course at Fort Benning graduating in September 1950. He returned to Urich with Hazel and daughter, Vickie Lynn, and then he was on his way to Korea. He was assigned to the 187th Parachute Regiment as a Rifle Platoon Leader. He returned to the states in February 1952 and was assigned to the 11th Airborne Division as a Company Commander in the 503rd Parachute Regiment in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. A second daughter, Sandra Lee, joined the family being born while in Fort Campbell.
Leaving the service in December 1953; he worked at Burton Motors in Lee’s Summit, Mo. While living in Lee’s Summit a third daughter was born, Terri Rae. In February 1957, he re-entered the Army; He attended the Infantry Officers Career Course in Fort Benning, Georgia then he was assigned as an instructor with the Parachute School until September 1960.
Lee and his family left the United States and moved to Munich, Germany where he was assigned to The Southern Area Command as Comptroller and SGS until June 1964. The family then returned to Fort Campbell, Kentucky where he was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, 2nd Brigade as Staff Officer and Battalion Commander in 1 and 2/501. In September 1966 they moved to Alabama where he attended the Air Force Command and General Staff College, graduating in June 1967. Following the birth of his son Leroy Jr. he left the family in Urich and was assigned to South East Asia, Thailand and Viet Nam for duty with the MAG units until July 1968. Upon his return they moved to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas where he was assigned as an Instructor with the Army Command and General Staff College until his retirement from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, Infantry, Regular Army on July 31, 1970.
While in the Army, Lee was awarded the following military decorations: Combat Infantry Badge, Master Parachutist Badge - Jump Wings, Glider Badge, National Defense Service Medal w/ 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Army Commendation Medal w/ 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Korean Service Medal w/ 5 Campaign Stars and 2 Arrow Heads, United Nations Service Medal, Army Occupation Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, and Legion of Merit. He was recently awarded the Order of Saint Maurice, highest level Primicerius; for those who have made a significant contribution to the Infantry.
After retirement the family moved back to Urich and Lee returned working at Burton Motors, he and the girls enjoyed their horses, most notable was Bomber’s Black Night, a Tennessee walking horse, and Blue a gaited horse that could be seen hitched to carriages around The Plaza in Kansas City.
In June 1977 they moved to Holiday, Florida, where Lee worked for Collier Safe Company for 7 years. Lee and Hazel divorced in 1984 and he bought a small farm south of Urich. He continued working for Burton Motors for a number of years. He was married in 1988 and divorced May 2013.
He made a nice home at the farm with lots of room for parties and entertaining. Lee loved dancing, cars, traveling, dining out, and most of all having a place for his family to have reunions and parties and was very proud of his home. He enjoyed sharing stories of his growing up years at Smokey Row and took great joy in moving the family farm Windmill to his farm. Lee continued to wear his uniform and served with great pride American Legions of Adrian and Urich and participated as honor guard and speaker at many parades and Veterans ceremonies.
In June 2012 health issues lead to Lee moving to Carnegie Village in Belton, where he never meet a stranger, he always met people with a smile and wave. He was loved by all the residents and staff.
Lee will be missed by his family and friends. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Terri (Robert) Stockard, died from injuries sustained in an auto accident in Dallas Texas December 1977. Left to cherish his memory are his three children: Vickie (Chuck) Bogner of Marshalltown, Iowa, Sandra Ewing of Amsterdam, Missouri, Leroy B. (Rhonda) Ewing Jr. of Land of Lakes, Florida: two step sons, Mike (Angie)Wooldridge of Dallas, Texas and Mark Wooldridge and partner Tida of Kansas City, Missouri: four grandchildren: Crag Bogner, Tara Bogner, Patrick Ewing, Matthew Ewing and a step granddaughter Hannah Wooldridge: sister, Yvonne (Floyd) Turner and many nieces and nephews. Preceding Lee in death were his parents, brothers: King Carr, June, Ervin, and James, sisters: Mae Evans, Joyce Fairman, Flora Sexton, Edna Gragg, Ruth Jacobs, and Mildred Gragg; and nieces and nephews.
Memorials can be directed to the family.
Funeral services were held Monday, July 22, 2013 at the First Christian Church Urich, Missouri with burial will be in the Mullin Cemetery near Urich, Missouri.