In Memoriam

Another fifth Friday has rolled around, and with it a post remembering seagoing cowboys no longer with us.

Good, Ellis, January 10, 2022, Bourbonnais, Illinois. S. S. F. J. Luckenbach to Poland, January 15, 1946.

Guyer, C. Albert, February 28, 2022, Martinsburg, Pennsylvania. S. S. Mexican to Poland, November 8, 1945.

Kaufman, Lester, February 14, 2022, Millersburg, Ohio. S. S. Joshua Hendy to Poland, December 8, 1945.

Lammers, Richard Lewis, February 2, 2016, Pleasant Hill, Tennessee. S. S. Spartanburg Victory to Italy, March 17, 1947.

Layman, Wilbur Clement, January 24, 2022, Harrisonburg, Virginia. S. S. Charles W. Wooster to Greece, August 15, 1945; S. S. Bucknell Victory to Poland, February 16, 1946.

Morehouse, John, Jr., February 22, 2022, Goshen, Indiana. S. S. Lindenwood Victory to China, December 19, 1946.

Neuhauser, James Groff, January 8, 2022, San Juan, Puerto Rico. S. S. Pierre Victory to Poland, March 29, 1946; S. S. Plymouth Victory to Poland, May 11, 1946.

Schwartz, Arthur Edward, January 10, 2022, Henderson, North Carolina. S. S. Zona Gale to Yugoslavia (docking in Trieste, Italy), June 28, 1945; S. S. Frontenac Victory to Poland, June 6, 1946.

Shenk, Ellis, December 28, 2021, Bel Air, Maryland. S. S. American Importer to West Germany with the Heifer Project, November 7, 1953.

Stuntz, Hayward W., February 17, 2022, Plymouth, Indiana. S. S. Joshua Hendy to Poland, December 8, 1945.

Swords, Gene G., March 13, 2022, Lititz, Pennsylvania. S. S. Rockland Victory to Czechoslovakia (docking in Bremen, Germany), June 14, 1946.

Rest in peace, dear seagoing friends.

In Memoriam

Carey, Gordon Ray, December 22, 2021, Arlington, Virginia. Ship unknown, to Okinawa with goats for Heifer Project, January 13, 1950.

Reynolds, Frances “Frankie” A., November 28, 2021, Conway, Arkansas. A Heifer Project cowgirl, trip details unknown.

Shoemaker, Kenneth, November 2, 2021, Normal, Illinois. S. S. Lindenwood Victory to China, December 19, 1946.

Weaver, Henry “Hank” David, Jr., December 7, 2021, Goshen, Indiana. S. S. Frederic C. Howe to Trieste, Italy, with livestock for Yugoslavia, November 15, 1946.

White, Orville (Joe), August 27, 2004, Bloomington, Minnesota. S. S. Wesley W. Barrett to Poland, April 14, 1946.

Rest in peace, dear seagoing friends.

In Memorium

As this Fifth Friday rolls around, it’s time to once again recognize the seagoing cowboys who have recently passed from this earthly world.

Bankston, L. Miller, February 3, 2020, Laurel, Mississippi. S. S. Hattiesburg Victory to Greece, July 22, 1946.

Eldridge, John J., December 15, 2020, Goshen, Indiana. S. S. Queens Victory to Poland, September 4, 1946.

Hollenberg, Edward L., October 19, 2020, Goshen, Indiana. S. S. F. J. Luckenbach to Greece, June 24, 1945.

Kent, Marshall, January, 2021 (day unknown), Napa, California. S. S. Park Victory to Yugoslavia (docking in Trieste, Italy), October 26, 1945; S. S. Park Victory to Poland, December 23, 1945; S. S. Cedar Rapids Victory to Poland, March 30, 1946; S. S. Mount Whitney to Poland, August 31, 1946; S. S. Hattiesburg Victory to Poland, February 4, 1947.

Pellman, William R., October 28, 2020, Lititz, Pennsylvania. S. S. Mexican to Poland, November 8, 1945; S. S. Mount Whitney to Poland, November 30, 1946.

Ringenberg, Ralph, December 19, 2020, Elkhart, Indiana. S. S. Harvard Victory to Yugoslavia (docking in Trieste, Italy), November 22, 1946.

Rink, Fred, Jr., December 9, 2020, Millersburg, Indiana. S. S. Carroll Victory to Poland, February 16, 1946.

Troxell, Richard H., Jr., December 20, 2020, Williamsport, Maryland. S. S. Cyrus W. Fields to Czechoslovakia (docking in Germany), August 22, 1946.

Weaver, David M., January 8, 2021, Lititz, Pennsylvania. S. S. F. J. Luckenbach to Poland, January 15, 1946.

Whitmore, Eugene R., November 14, 2020, Roanoke, Virginia. S. S. Queens Victory to Poland, September 4, 1946.

Rest in peace, dear seagoing friends.

In Memorium

This is my regular Fifth Friday post to honor the seagoing cowboys who have passed away recently, the ones of whom I am aware.

Bollinger, Galen S., January 4, 2018, Myerstown, PA. S. S. Mount Whitney to Poland, November 30, 1946.

Bollinger, John C., January 13, 2018, Goshen, IN. S. S. Norwalk Victory to Yugoslavia, February 13, 1946.

Fisher, Wallace, March 6, 2018, Wellman, IA. S. S. Morgantown Victory to Yugoslavia, December 2, 1946.

Groff, Mahlon A., January 8, 2018, Seven Valleys, PA. S. S. Carroll Victory to Poland, February 16, 1946.

Kauffman, Theodore G., January 29, 2018, West Brandywine, PA. S. S. Queens Victory to Czechoslovakia, November 2, 1946; S. S. Saginaw Victory to Poland, December 31, 1946.

Klepinger, Wayne Ellis, January 10, 2018, Lehigh Acres, FL. S. S. Pierre Victory to Poland, March 29, 1946.

Longenecker, Harry K., February 13, 2018, Elizabathtown, PA. S. S. John J. Crittenden to Poland, March 6, 1946.

Messamer, Charles Lloyd, February 25, 2018, Avon, IN. S. S. Lindenwood Victory to China, December 19, 1946.

Robertson, Jesse Davis, March 8, 2018, Bridgewater, VA. S. S. Samuel H. Walker to Yugoslavia, August 27, 1945.

Rest in peace, dear seagoing friends.

In Memorium

It’s time for my regular Fifth Friday post to honor the seagoing cowboys who have passed away. These are the ones I’ve learned of, some from previous years of whom I’m just becoming aware:

Anders, Paul Henry, July 16, 2017, Alemeda, CA. S. S. Morgantown Victory to Poland, December 10, 1945.

Armstrong, Byron Harold, July 17, 2017, Bridgewater, VA. Heifer Project trips to Austria, Turkey, Egypt, Sardinia, Mexico, beginning in 1954.

Brenneman, John Henry, October 16, 2017, Newport News, VA. S. S. Bucknell Victory to Poland, February 15, 1946.

Brown, H. Merle, October 12, 2017, Elgin, IL. S. S. Queens Victory to Czechoslovakia, June 9, 1946; S. S. Cedar Rapids Victory to Yugoslavia, July 10, 1946.

Burkholder, Lewis A., December 13, 2013, Powhatan, VA. S. S. Pass Christian Victory to Israel, November 1949 (Levinson Brothers shipment).

Damon, Richard Alva, January 24, 2008, Walnut Creek, CA. S. S. Alcee Fortier to Yugoslavia, April 18, 1946.

Day, Kelly M., April 6, 2013, Lafayette, IN. Heifer Project shipment to Greece, December 10  1956.

Detrra, Jr., Norman E., April 27, 2011, West Reading, PA. S. S. Stephen R. Mallory to Poland, June 20, 1946.

Dickey, John, October 25, 2017, New Castle, IN. S. S. Virginia City Victory to Poland, May 26, 1946; S. S. Yugoslavia Victory to Poland, July 19, 1946.

Eller, Harlan H., January 20, 2017, Crimora, VA. S. S. Earlham Victory to Yugoslavia, January 6, 1947.

Groff, Eugene A., January 5, 2017, Lititz, PA. S. S. Beloit Victory to Poland, November 27, 1946.

Harner, David, July 25, 2015, Chino Valley, AZ.  S. S. Humanitas (Heifer Project) to Italy, March 23, 1948.

Harsh, Norman Luther, November 29, 2017, Salem, VA. S. S. Mexican to Yugoslavia, June 28, 1945.

Hess, Paul C., November 19, 2016, Mount Joy, PA. S. S. Mount Whitney to Poland, November 30, 1946.

Hilty, Calvin Albert, March 29, 2014, Strathmore, CA. S. S. Morgantown Victory to Poland, December 4, 1945.

Hochstetler, Carl, September 13, 2013, Killbuck, OH. S. S. Mexican to Yugoslavia, June 28, 1945.

Kanagy, Paul C., December 20, 2011, Chesterville, OH. S. S. Blue Island Victory to Poland, August 10, 1946.

Kaufman, Paul J., September 18, 2017, Plain City, OH. S. S. Santiago Iglesias to Poland, November 10, 1945; S. S. Gainesville Victory to Poland, April 17, 1946.

Kuhns, Levi M., March 6, 2011, N. Lawrence, OH. S. S. Park Victory to Poland, December 23, 1945.

Lehman, Adin Leroy, April 20, 2017, Chambersburg, PA. S. S. Queens Victory to Greece, December 15, 1946.

Long, James DeChant, October 26, 2017, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA. S. S. Villanova Victory to Greece, July 22, 1946.

Martin, Aldine D., November 17, 2017, Greencastle, PA. S. S. Bucknell Victory to Poland, February 16, 1946.

McFadden, William Robert (Bob), December 8, 2017, Bridgewater, VA. Heifer Project shipment to Germany, May 19, 1953.

Mullet, Henry A., June 3, 2017, Kalona, IA. S. S. Samuel H. Walker to Greece, December 15, 1945.

Nafziger, Robert W., February 8, 2011, Archbold, OH. S. S. Park Victory to Poland, December 23, 1945; S. S. Plymouth Victory  to Greece, February 13, 1947.

Newsom, Robert “Bo”, March 28, 2017, Columbus, IN. S. S. Rockland Victory to Poland, June 15, 1946.

Nolt, Richard B. “Dick”, February 28, 2014, Lititz, PA. S. S. Cyrus W. Fields to Italy, June 14, 1946.

Prouty, Estel, May 21, 2017, Ogden, IA. S. S. Lindenwood Victory to China, December 19, 1946.

Renalds, Robert Stanley, March 1, 2013, Nashville, TN. S. S. John J. Crittenden to Czechoslovakia, August 15, 1946.

Shenk, Joseph Donald “Don”, September 14, 2015, Newport News, VA. S. S. Pass Christian Victory to Israel, December 1949 (Levinson Brothers shipment).

Siemens, Melvin Roy, October 13, 2017, Leoti, KS. S. S. Charles W. Wooster to Greece, April 21, 1946.

Summy, Robert G., May 1, 2017, Manheim, PA. S. S. Virginian to Yugoslavia, June 26, 1945.

Torkelson, Norman, December 9, 2012, Tilley, Alberta, Canada. S. S. Mount Whitney to Poland, July 29, 1946.

Unruh, Earl R., June 6, 2017, Kansas City, MO. S. S. Morgantown Victory to Yugoslavia, December 2, 1946.

Voran, Willis R., January 16, 2017, New Holland, PA. S. S. John J. Crittenden to Yugoslavia, November 23, 1946.

Weber, Norman, October 2, 2016, Elmira, Ontario, Canada. S. S. Occidental Victory to Poland, September 29, 1946.

White, David H., September 27, 2017, Lititz, PA. S. S. John L. McCarley to Poland, July 2, 1946.

Willms, Alfred J., October 22, 2016, Leamington, Ontario, Canada. S. S. Frederic C. Howe to Yugoslavia, November 15, 1946; S. S. Woodstock Victory to Greece, January 18, 1947.

Rest in peace, dear seagoing friends.

Special Crew #4: Second All-Mennonite Crew

Several months after the Mennonite student crew of the S. S. Stephen R. Mallory made their trip to Poland, a second all-Mennonite crew departed from Newport News, Virginia, on the S. S. Frederic C. Howe November 15, 1946. Bound for Trieste, Italy, they cared for over 700 horses that would be transported on to Yugoslavia.

Courtesy: Henry Weaver, Jr.

This post will be told through the slides of Henry “Hank” Weaver, Jr., an eighteen-year-old student at Eastern Mennonite College who was taking a year off between his freshman and sophomore years when he made his trip.

 

 

 

 

Photo credit: Henry Weaver, Jr.

 

 

“All but four cowboys got seasick,” Hank said. He was among the lucky four who didn’t.

 

 

 

Photo credit: Henry Weaver, Jr.

 

 

 

The “bosses,” Chris, Trimmer, Art, and Walt.

 

 

 

Photo credit: Henry Weaver, Jr.

 

 

Like the Mennoite crew that went to Poland, these cowboys were greeted in Trieste by the devastation of war.

 

 

 

Photo credit: Henry Weaver, Jr.

 

 

Hank and his friends take a “taxi” to see Trieste.

Photo credit: Henry Weaver, Jr.

 

 

 

 

 

An old Roman amphitheater was one of their stops.

 

 

 

Photo credit: Henry Weaver, Jr.

 

 

They took a bus to Venice, a bit uneasy about whether they’d make it back in time to catch the ship, but relaxed when they saw the Captain was on the bus, too.

 

 

 

 

Photo credit: Henry Weaver, Jr.

 

The ship was met by “bum boats” off the coast of Spain on the way home, with merchants wanting to sell bedspreads and table cloths. The basket goes up with the merchandise and down with the pay.

 

 

The Frederic C. Howe completed its trip on December 31, 1946, docking in New York City.

As I do with all seagoing cowboys I interview, I asked Hank if this trip had influenced his later life. He said it stoked his interest in other countries and led him to a career administering college study abroad programs. He started Goshen College’s program in Indiana and served as Deputy Director for Education Abroad in the University of California system. His work has taken him to over half the countries of the world.

Next post: the seagoing cowboy who made the most trips