Palacios Marine Killed in War
Matagorda County's 10th Victim
 

A  former Palacios resident, Marine Corps PFC Ray Lee Penland, Jr., 19, was killed in action May 26 in South Vietnam, the Marine Corps office in Galveston reported today.

Penland is the son of Mrs. Clarence Koontz of Harvey, La., and Ray Lee Penland of Houston. Funeral services are pending at Taylor Bros. Funeral Home in Bay City.

PFC Penland attended school in Palacios and graduated from high school at Port Lavaca.

According to the Marine Corps, Penland was killed by rifle fire during a fire fight with the enemy near Quang Tri, which is located north of Hue.

He was an infantry Marine, according to reports. Penland's death was the 10th Matagorda County Vietnam war death.

No other information was available today.

The Daily Tribune, Tuesday, June 4, 1968
 

Penland Rites Set Saturday
 

Funeral services for Marine PFC Ray Lee Penland Jr. of Palacios are set for 2 p.m. Saturday at the Trinity Baptist Church in Palacios. Burial will be in the Hawley Cemetery.

Penland, 19, was killed near Quang Tri, South Vietnam, on May 28 during hostile action.

The Rev. J. R. Wgin and the Rev. Willie Bearfield will officiate at the funeral services.

PFC Penland is survived by his mother, Mrs. Clarence Koontz of Harvey, La.; his father, Ray Lee Penland Sr. of Houston; five sisters, Linda Sue Penland, Laura Jean Penland, Barbara Ann Penland and Vicki Lynn Koontz, all of Harvey, La., and one brother, Henry J. Penland of Harvey, La.

Taylor Bros. Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

The Daily Tribune, Friday, June 14, 1968
 

WORLD WAR II
COLLEGEPORT'S FIVE STAR MOTHER


Vannie Huffhines Penland

and her sons, Aaron, Glenn, Ray Lee & Gene
and nephew, Curtis, raised in their household
from early childhood until he joined the service.

Courtesy of Gene Penland
 

AARON BROWN PENLAND, SR.

Aaron Brown Penland Sr.

Aaron Brown Penland Sr., 56, a resident of Bay City passed away June 22 as a result of an airplane crash. He was a member of the Methodist Church, was retired from the U. S. Army as Lt. Colonel, was a WWII veteran, was a graduate of Texas A & M, was a retired Farm Bureau Agent of Matagorda County, president of the Matagorda County Farm Bureau, a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and a local rice farmer. Survivors include: wife, Marguerite Penland of Bay City; Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Penland of Collegeport; daughters, Mrs. Carole Lowstetter of Garland and Mrs. Susan Genck of Bay City; sons, Aaron B. Penland, Jr. of Huntsville and Robert Penland of Chicago, Ill.; sisters, Sue Hawthorn of Pane Burn, Ark., and Nell Mize of Cuero; brothers, John of Palacios, Eugene of Santa Cruz, Calif., Glenn of Channelview, Ray Lee of Collegeport, and Ralph of Florida. 6 grandchildren. Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. June 24 at the First United Methodist Church with Rev. James Thompson and Rev. George C. Aurich officiating. Interment was at the Hawley Cemetery with pallbearers being: Glenn Penland, Johnny Penland, Gene Penland, James Penland, Arvin Stewart, and Chester Corporon. Honorary pallbearers were Ralph Penland and Ray Lee Penland. Family requests memorials be made to the Heart Fund and the Diabetes Fund. Arrangements with Taylor Brothers Funeral Home.

The Daily Tribune, June 24, 1974                                 Picture courtesy of daughter, Susie Genck.
 

PAUL MITCHELL PENLAND

  Paul Mitchell Penland  

Paul Mitchell Penland, 31, became the fourth Matagorda County traffic fatality of 1966 Saturday night and the first in the city of Palacios, when the car he was driving was involved in a head-on collision. He died after being taken to Wagner General Hospital.

Services for Mr. Penland will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the First Baptist Church of Palacios with the Rev. Rayford Harris officiating. Burial will be in Hawley Cemetery in Blessing.

Survivors include his wife, Ruby Sanders Penland; mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Penland of Collegeport; two daughters, Sharon Paulette and Denise Dawn; two sons, Paul Mitchell, Jr. and Ronald Keith; two sisters, Mrs. Lee Mize of Palacios and Mrs. Lee Hawthorne of Houston; and seven brothers, Aaron B. of Bay City, Glenn of Channelview, Ray L. of Houston, Eugene of Santa Cruz, Calif., Ralph of West Palm Beach, Calif., James L. of Palacios and John E. of Lake Jackson.

The Daily Tribune, August 8, 1966                                               Picture courtesy of Gene Penland.
 

RAY LEE PENLAND, SR.

Ray Lee Penland

Funeral services for Ray Lee Penland, 65, of Collegeport were scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday at Taylor Brothers Funeral Home, Bay City, with the Rev. Jim Hardaway officiating.

Interment will follow at Hawley Cemetery, Blessing.

Mr. Penland was born Jan. 9, 1925, in Keechi, Texas to A. A. and Vannie Huffhines Penland and died Jan. 25, 1990, at Matagorda General Hospital.

He was a lifelong resident of the Collegeport and Palacios area.

Survivors include: four daughters, Linda Dasch of New Orleans, Lenora Brossette of Richmond, Laura Fralick of Houston and Barbie Heilker of Austin; a son, Henry Penland of Sugar Land; two sisters, Sue Hawthorne of Pangune, Ark., and Nell Mize of Cuero; five brothers, Johnny Penland of Palacios, Ralph Penland of Florida, Eugene Penland of California, James Penland of Austin and Glenn Penland of Cedar Lane; and 12 grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Taylor Brothers Funeral Home.

The Daily Tribune, January 26?, 1990                                       Picture courtesy of Gene Penland.
 

Elisha "Gene" Penland
December 12, 1926 - February 24, 2015

HAMILTON - Elisha Gene Penland passed on in Hamilton, MT on February 24, 2015. Gene was born December 12, 1926 in the Piney Woods of East Texas. He was the 5th of 13 children born to Bud and Vannie Penland of Leon and Matagorda County, Texas. Gene is survived by his ever loving and tender wife, Evelyn, her sons David and Michael, daughters Carrie and Kimberly and grandchildren. He is survived by daughter Cindy Clarke, granddaughter Marcia and great grandson of Umpqua, Oregon. He is survived by sisters Annie Nell Mize of Cuero, Texas, Sue Hawthorn of Searcy, Arkansas, and brother John of Palacios Texas. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews. Gene is preceded in death by son Barry Penland, granddaughter Dawn and brothers Aaron B., Glenn H., Clyde, Ray Lee, Ralph W., James L.,  Paul M.,  Robert Neal and sister Sara Marie. Gene loved cutting timber at his home, salmon fishing in the Pacific, and telling stories. He helped many neighbors and community. Some service was as volunteer fireman and 4-H advisor. He and his true stories were well loved. Gene will be sorely missed by many and by his family. Gene retired from Lockheed Missile and Space Division in Santa Clara County, CA as a Senior Systems Test Engineer. Gene was in the service for WWII and Korea. He is a life member in VFW and standing member in the American Legion. During and after WWII Gene served in the Asiatic Theater, including China on mostly navy tugboats and other service vessels including tankers distributing gasoline, oil and water to the Pacific fleet and islands of the Pacific. His first ship assignment was a patrol craft, PC 124, stationed at Subic Bay which was used to cut loose mines in the Philippine area. His tour of duty included participating in Operation Cross Roads which detonated two Atomic bombs off the Bikini Atoll. Among other service ribbons that can be pinned on his lapel is the Korea Service Medal (1 star) and the United Nations Service Medal. Gene spent more than 20 years of his later life living alongside Trapper Creek in Ravalli County, Montana In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Hospice at Marcus Daly Hospital at Hamilton, MT.

Daly Leach Chapel
 

Memories Part 1     Memories Part 2     Memories Part 3     Memories Part 4

Memories Part 5     Memories Part 6     Keechi Scrapbook     Old House on the Bay

Penland Veterans     Penland-Huffhines 2007 Reunion
 

Copyright 2006 - Present by The Penland Family
All rights reserved

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