Grayson County TXGenWeb

Charles Heinrich Oetker

The son of Charles Heinrich "Carl" Oetker and Dora Caroline Krueger, Lester Carl Oetker was baptized on May 31, 1914 at Salem Lutheran Church in Black Jack, St. Louis County, Missouri. His sponsors were Richard Rosenkoetter and Johann Rosenkoetter.
Lester made a career of the United States Air Force. His time in the service allowed him to see much of the world as he was stationed in various locations.
He served at an Indian jungle service center of the China-Burma-India Air Service Command. After 2-1/2 years
in the China-India-Burma theater, he was stationed in Ontario, California. He was a staff sergeant there when he married Mary Louise Kohler in July 1945.
In the 1950s, he was at Ladd Army Airfield, located at Ft. Jonathan Wainwright near Fairbanks, Alaska. He was a technical sergeant with the 5001st supply squadron.
Lester was stationed in Munden, Germany for 4 years, from 1959 to 1963. He was stationed in Nebraska for a time in the 1960s. He and Mary were the parents of 2 children.
Lester served during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He retired from the military after 30 years of service.
After returning to civilian life, Lester began working for the Omaha National Bank in Omaha, Nebraska. He retired from the bank in 1976 and moved back to St. Charles County, Missouri.
In 1981, Lester decided to move to Denison, Grayson County, Texas in order to be closer to his family. His favorite hobby was dancing, and he loved music from the big band era. He was a member of VFW Post #2773
in Denison.
Lester died at a hospital in Denison following a short illness. At the time of his death, he was 88 years and 15 days old.