"Chet" Greene's Obituary
Not too long ago Chet wrote down some information entitled This is My Life-A Wonderful One by Denzil C. Greene that we now want to share with his family and friends.
Denzil Chester Greene, “Chet” as most all knew him by was born on June 13, 1921 in Galesburg, Illinois. He was the oldest of 14 children born to Lewis and Edith (Evans) Greene. Chet grew up in Fordland, Mo graduating high school in May of 1942.
His story begins on August 14, 1942: I was on my way to St. Louis then to Fort Bliss, Texas and on to El Paso for 6 months of army military training. Then I would go to New York and load on the British Ship Andear with 8000 troops. The ship would speed 35 knots per hour with no escort. After 8 days and nights I landed in Casablanca, Africa, dug in fox holes, and then all heck broke loose. I went through all the Africa conflict and made the invasion of Sicily. Then to Solerno, Italy, where I moved thru the very rough terrain of Italy to get to the Kasserine Pass. Then I pulled out of Italy with fellow troops to make the Invasion of Southern France on D-day. (We had to win World War II or we wouldn’t be here today if we had lost. There would have been no D-Day if we had lost North Africa, Sicily, and Italy’s battles.) I had the privilege of driving General Patton through a blackout. I ran the jeep off in the ditch, but me and my buddies were able to lift the jeep back on the road and keep going with General Patton by our side. Later I was struck down by shrapnel wounds which placed me on my way to a field hospital for a 2 day stay before being put on a hospital ship headed for the states. I was on that ship for 17 days and nights and witnessed 17 funerals at sea. Seventeen of my buddies didn’t make it home. I landed in Charleston, South Carolina and said, “What a beautiful day.” I also said, “I was so glad to see the United States of America, and me and my buddies sang America the beautiful.” Then I was put on a train headed for the Topeka, Kansas Army Hospital. The train came right thru Mansfield and Springfield, and come so close to home, but I didn’t get to see any of my folks. Finally I got a weekend pass and I traveled back to Mansfield to claim Imogene Brazeal as my wife. Back then there was a three day wait to marry in Missouri and I didn’t have that many days off. With Imogene’s dad’s blessing we traveled to Hardy, Arkansas and were married by a justice of the peace. The justice of the peace was out back shoeing horses and came in long enough to marry us. Then after getting married I took Imogene back to Topeka, Kansas where she worked in a flour mill while I was still in the hospital recovering from battle wounds. She worked in the mill during the day and would come see me every evening after work. Some of the soldiers in the hospital that could walk would help her cross the busy highway to the hospital so she didn’t have to do it alone. I then spent 16 months at Winter General Hospital and while I was there General Dwight D. Eisenhower, chief of the US Army was visiting in Texas. He called the hospital and told them to get 40 veterans down to the train station, he wanted to see them. I was one of the lucky veterans chosen to go. I was on crutches due to my injuries. The hospital staff told the vets to come to attention as best we could and salute Ike. Ike’s train came in; me and my buddy Miles came to attention and saluted Ike. Ike got off the train, parted the crowd and said “Let me to them.” I said to my buddy Miles “He is coming to see us!” Ike then asked us where we were wounded, he asked what our serial numbers were, 37382298, and then he hugged us as he started to cry. He told us he was so proud of our service and he said “God Bless You, God Bless You.” Ike wished us well and said “I hope you return to your families soon.” Then on August 14, 1945, I was finally discharged from serving the United States Army. After I was released from the hospital, we made our home in Mansfield, Missouri where we still live today.
We feel blessed as a family to be able to share his life story with all who knew him. His words will bring us comfort and give us the opportunity to reminisce about the wonderful story he wrote for us.
On January 30, 1945 Chet was united in marriage to Imogene Brazeal. To this union 2 sons were born Jerry “Leon” Greene and Donald “Max” Greene. Chet and Imogene made a lifetime of memories as they shared 66 years and 1 day together. They owned and operated a dairy farm for many years as they raised their sons. When Chet’s health declined he had to sell the dairy cattle and farmed beef cattle.
Chet served on many boards in his community: Mansfield School Board, MFA Oil CO., and Se-Ma-No. He also was a member of the American Legion Post 128. Chet held the flag and his service to our country very near to his heart. He was a very dedicated Christian who was a member of the Wolf Creek Primitive Baptist faith. For many years members of his congregation gathered with him on each Saturday night before the second Sunday so that Chet was still able to attend church in the comfort of his home even though dealing with failing health.
Chet also had many hobbies such as farming, fishing, loving his grandkids and great grandkids, watching the St. Louis Cardinals, studying the bible, but most of all he loved to visit with people. His family thinks he could have been an entertainer because he always had a way of making a person smile and he could talk to a stranger. He was a unique person who always had a smile on his face no matter how he felt and never complained or questioned all the trials and battles in his life. He simply accepted life moment by moment and trusted in God. He believed that if you fell in love with the Lord first, then everything else would fall into place and he literally lived by those words.
Chet was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend to all who knew him. He will leave a legacy behind that will live on forever in the hearts and memories of all who were privileged to know him.
In Chet’s story This is My Life-A Wonderful One, he closed by saying: “Thanks Imie for two sons and a wonderful life.”
He was preceded in death by his parents; a grandson, Terry Greene; three sisters, Irene Pender, Vicky and Patsy Greene; three brothers, William Robert Greene, Kenneth Greene and a stillborn brother; a daughter-in-law, Jane Wynn Greene; a sister-in-law, Wilma Brazeal.
Chet is survived by his wife, Imogene of the home; two sons, Max Greene and his wife Donna of Mansfield, Missouri and Leon Greene and his wife Melissa of Lenexa, Kansas; four grandchildren, Gary Greene and his wife Erin and Jennifer Morris and her husband Alan all of Mansfield, Missouri, Julie Crum and her husband Jeff of Albuquerque, New Mexico and LeighAnn Siebert and her husband Ty of Overland Park, Kansas; eight great-grandchildren, Kailey, Lexie and Quincee Morris, Spencer, Sydnee and Sadee Greene, Caleb and Kyle Crum; four sisters, Bonita Welsh of Rogersville, Missouri, Ruth Smaldridge of Kingman, Arizona, Betty Turner and her husband Clarence of Springfield, Missouri and Jean Kenyon and her companion Bill John of Rogersville, Missouri; three brothers, Stanley Greene and his wife Joan of Springfield, Missouri, Larry Greene and his wife Betty of Fordland, Missouri and Lewis Greene Jr. and his wife Doris of Beaver Creek, Ohio; two brothers-in-law, Don Brazeal of Mansfield, Missouri and Iva Pender of Conway, Missouri as well as nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of other relatives and many, many friends.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday, February 7, 2011 in the Holman-Howe Funeral Home, Mansfield, Missouri.
Burial with full military honors will be in the Wolf Creek Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 2-4:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon in the funeral home.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Holman-Howe Funeral Home of Mansfield.
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