Capt. Claude Ewing Lovett, Jr., U.S. Army(ret.)

Claude E. Lovett, Jr. was born June 12, 1921 in a farm house on the Homer Creek Stock Farm located in the Neal community near Eureka, Kansas. He died on May 8, 2012. He attended Tonovay Public School for grades 1 thru 3, all of which were in a one room schoolhouse.

In 1930, the family moved to their ranch in the Texas panhandle and Claude attended 4th thru 8th grades in Stratford. Due to family moves, he went to high school in Channing and Dumas, where he graduated in 1939 following which he enrolled in the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, now Texas A&M University. Claude was a life member of the Century Club of the Association of former students and the San Antonio A&M club. He graduated from A&M in January 1943 and went directly into the army, assigned to the infantry officer candidate school at 90th infantry division, Camp Barkley, Abilene Texas. While a freshman at Texas A&M, he and his wife to be me on a blind date February 10, 1940 and on August 21, 1943 he and Mary Helen Rosener of Temple, Texas were married in Abilene.

The 90th division moved to the Mojave Dessert in California for maneuvers and then to Fort Dix, NJ in March 1944. The division departed for England and on June 8,1944, D day +2 landed on Utah beach in Normandy. As a rifle platoon leader and company executive officer, in combat, Claude was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars, Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman Badge, three Campaign Stars, the Beachhead Landing Arrowhead, and the French Croix De Guerre. He was wounded by German machine gun fire November 12,1944, spent some three years in four different military hospitals, and was retired from Brooke General Hospital (now BAMC) October 15,1947 for permanent disability with the rank of Captain. Memberships in military associations include the Legion of Valor, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Military Officers Association of America and the 90th Division Association.

Claude started work January 9, 1948 in San Antonio for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company as a rural salesman. On October 31, 1948 his only child, daughter Claudia, was born in San Antonio. After several different jobs in San Antonio he was the local manager in Crystal City and Harlingen then Division Commercial Engineer in Austin and Beaumont. In January, 1974, he returned to San Antonio as Advalorem Tax Manager from which job he retired on May 29, 1987. He was a life member of the Telephone Pioneers, Alamo Chapter.

Claude was an active member in seven different Methodist churches as he moved to different cities. He has been a member of Windcrest United Methodist Church since 1974 where he served in many capacities including Head of Finance and Building Drives, Chairman of the Church Council and President of the Windcrest Methodist Men’s organization. After retiring from Southwestern Bell, he worked for 10 years assisting people with income tax preparation under the volunteer income tax assistance program.

Claude was predeceased by two brothers, Hubert and Robert, and sister Dorothy Scarbrough. Survivors include his wife, Helen, daughter Claudia Taylor and husband Gary of Dallas, grandson Blake Taylor and wife Lindsay, great grandson Luke Taylor, granddaughter Brittany Sawyer and husband Lee, sisters Maxine Adair of Levellend, Texas and Edith Roberds of Las Cruces, New Mexico, sister in law Ellen Lovett of Amarillo, Texas.

The family will receive visitors Wednesday, May 16, 2012 from 5PM to 8PM at Sunset Funeral Home. The funeral service will be Thursday, May 17, 2012 at 11:30am at Windcrest United Methodist Church. Burial with full military honors will follow at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to

Windcrest United Methodist Church,

8101 Midcrown Dr.

San Antonio, Tx 78239.