Thomas "Les" McCormick

Les McCormick, 92, died at Brown County Hospital, Ainsworth NE on March 22, 2015 surrounded by family. Funeral services will be held Friday March 27th at 11 a.m. at the Brewster Community Center in Brewster, NE with Lee Lloyd officiating. Burial will be in the Hawley Flats Cemetery. Govier Brothers Mortuary of Broken Bow is in charge of the arrangements. Visitation will be held on Thursday 8 AM to 8 PM at Govier Bros. Mortuary and Friday morning 8:30 AM until service time at the Community Building. Thomas Leslie McCormick was born May 18, 1922 to Edward Michael and Pearl Comfort (Dugger) McCormick in Hawley Flats Area near Dunning Nebraska. Les grew up just outside of Brewster NE. Les's siblings are the late Richard Paul, Vera Catherine (Rohrs) of Orange California, Mary Lou (Taylor) of Hillsboro, Oregon , late David Michael, Helen Clair (Lindly) of Anselmo Nebraska and James Edward of Southampton, United Kingdom, England. Les attended school through the 8th grade at Brewster country school. He began his 9th grade year in Brewster then went to Halsey, but quit before completing the year. He went to work with The Soil Conservation Service at Halsey NE, working for them for two years. Then he went to Winner SD and worked handling furs and ranching. Les then moved to Clairmont Wyoming and went to work for a rancher and a Sugar Beet farmer, before going to work for a junk dealer and Fur trader in Sheridan Wyoming. Les worked handling Iron and processing furs. In September 1942 Les married Norma Starkey in Hardin Montana and adopted her daughter Sandra, before being drafted into the Army. He completed his basic training in Fort Smith Arkansas at Camp Chaffee. His first son Leslie David McCormick was born while Les was in the hospital with the measles at Fort Smith Camp Chaffey Arkansas. After healing he went to Nashville Tennessee for Maneuvers and on to Camp Campbell Kentucky to prepare for battle in Europe - WWII. He was assigned to the Headquarters Company of the 14th Armored Division. FP5. Les served in combat in 1944 and 1945. This included combat in Central Europe including the Rhineland. Les had been on patrol in Worms Germany, he was standing guard in the rain, when his Sargent gave him the news the “War is Over”. He just left his post, went to his tent, took off his rain coat, laid his gun down and went to the meeting hall where there was quite a party. Les was discharged in October of 1945. He remembers the end of his journey home to visit his Mom & Dad. He got on the train in Sheridan Wyoming at 11:45 a.m. and arrived in Dunning NE the next morning. The mail man Howard Lister picked him up at the Depot and drove him to his Mom & Dad’s mail box and Les walked the mail on home. It was good to be home. Les, his wife Norma and son Leslie David made their home in Sheridan WY and had three additional children together John Albert, Shirley Ann (Moulton) and Patrick Eugene. Les worked for 13 years, handling iron and furs. They later divorced. Les married his second wife Verna Knows The Gunn in 1966, and adopted her two children Richard and Alma (Ozzie). They made their home in Lodge Grass MT, Les worked digging wells and they had three additional children Cameron Terrance “Terry”, Dennis Paul and Thomas Edward. Verna died from complications while giving birth to a baby boy September 24th 1968. After her death her family took care of the children so Les could work. He went to Oregon to work putting in irrigation, and eventually moved home to Brewster NE to care for his failing parents. Les enjoyed a wonderful friendship with “Gramma” Jeanette Saner, they enjoyed spending their days together until her life was cut short. Les spoke about her with a great love. Les was a good man, he had a good life, filled with many wonderful family and friends. He enjoyed fishing, hunting and trapping. He traveled to visit family in Alaska, California, and Oregon. In 2011 he was honored to go on the WWII Hero Flight to Washington DC to visit the WWII Memorial. Family, friends and Custer County donated the money needed to send Les on the Hero Flight. He was blessed with living near Brewster, a treasure in the midst of the sand hills of Nebraska, with loving neighbors that made it possible for him to live his life alone where he grew up miles away from anyone. Les is preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, and two grandchildren. Les is survived by four siblings, ten children, 29 grandchildren, 33 great grandchildren and two Great Great Grandchildren.