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HOCKINGPORT — Lawrence Jeffers, age 89, of Hockingport, died Tuesday, March 19, 2013, at Camden-Clark Hospital in Parkersburg, W.Va.
Born July 29, 1923, in Athens County, he was the son of the late Lawrence and Zada Lee Jeffers and was raised by his grandparents, the late Charles and Elsie Lee. He attended school at Mechanicsburg.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 during World War II and volunteered for the Airborne. He was a member of the 82nd Airborne 508th Parachute Regiment. He parachuted into Normandy on June 6, 1944, and Holland on July 17, 1944, and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He was awarded the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts. He also received awards from the president and government of the Republic of France, the Order of the Knight of the French Legion of Honor, in October 2012.
In 1950 he re-enlisted in the Army Air Corps at the beginning of the Korean War, and served until his retirement on March 1, 1968, from the U.S. Air Force.
After his military service, he became an Athens County deputy sheriff and served as a deputy sheriff until his retirement from the Sheriff’s Department in 1990.
Lawrence is survived by his wife of 33 years, Shirley A. Jeffers (also a retired Athens County Deputy Sheriff); a daughter, Lauren (Jeffrey) Young of Athens; two stepsons, Robert Hultgren of Pasadena, Md., and Geoff (Lavinia) Hultgren of Oregonia, Ohio; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Funeral service will be conducted Friday at 11 a.m. at Jagers & Sons Funeral Home in Athens with Pastor Stan West officiating. Burial will be in Stewart Cemetery, Hockingport. Friends may call Thursday from 5-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Military rites will be conducted at the cemetery by American Legion Post 15 Parkersburg, WV.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675. Please share a memory, a note of condolence or sign the online register book at www.jagersfuneralhome.com.
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