A 29-year old former Cooter man, Wayne Allen Neil, of Glenview, Illinois, drowned Sunday, June 17, 1962 in an unfortunate accident as his wife, sister-in-law and two small children sat watching him swim.
   Mr. Neil, who was known to be a good swimmer, drowned while attempting to swim a pond near Waukegan, Illinois, where he and his family were picnicking. Mr. Neil went down in approximately 15 feet of water, and thinking that he was swimming underwater, his wife did not call for help immediately. When he failed to come up in a few minutes, help was summoned and the body was discovered some three hours later by members of the fire department. He apparently suffered a heart attack or was stricken with cramps.
   The son of Mrs. Irene Davis of Leachville, Arkansas and the late Bernie Neil, he was born in Cooter, Missouri January 14, 1933, and had served in the U.S. Army from 1951 until 1954.
   He was married to the former June Flowers and they had two children. Mr. Neil was employed as a printer.
  Funeral services were held Thursday afternoon, June 21, 1962 at 2:30 p.m. at the Holly Grove Baptist Church in Cooter with Bro. Howard King officiating. Burial was in Mt. Zion Cemetery with John W. German Mt. Zion Chapel of Steele in charge of arrangements.
   He leaves these to mourn his passing: wife, June Neil of Glenview; son, Stephen Wayne Neil; daughter, Karen Neil; mother, Irene Davis; two brothers, Gene R. Neil of Florissant, Mo., and Howard B. Neil of Pueblo, Colo.; his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Neil of Cooter, grandfather, Mr. Patterson; and a host of other relatives and friends.
   Pallbearers were Jim and W.A. Ashcraft, Buck Laster, Darrell Edwards, Terry Dabbs and Charles Jones.

[The Steele Enterprise, Steele, Missouri Friday, June 22, 1962]

Grave marker for Wayne A. Neil in Mount Zion Cemetery, Steele (Pemiscot county), Missouri.

Wayne served in the 508th ARCT from 1951 to 1954