Spohn

Sgt. Maj. Alfred N. “Nick” Spohn Jr., U.S. Marine Corps retired, 82, of Fenelton died peacefully Monday, Memorial Day, at the Good Samaritan Hospice at Concordia.

He was born in Summit Township, Oct. 11, 1928, a son of the late Alfred N. Spohn Sr. and Mary Marra Spohn.

He was a veteran of World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars, retiring June 30, 1973, as a sergeant major of the U.S. Marine Corps after 27 years.

Some of his awards were the World War II Victory Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Ribbon with three Battle Stars, where he participated in the Tet Offensive, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Marine Corps Good Conduct Ribbon with seven awards, the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, and others.

Nick was qualified as an expert rifle and pistol marksman. He had seen service in most of the Marine Corps bases in the United States, Puerto Rico, Okinawa, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, Vietnam and Thailand.

In October 2001, he graduated from Butler High School, Class of 1946, with a group of students who had quit school to enlist in the military.

During the Korean War, all five Spohn brothers served in the U.S. military.

After retiring from the Marine Corps, he was a Realtor with West Real Estate for more than 35 years. His most famous transactions were sales to the American Hardware Corp. for their employees park and selling a farm to former Pittsburgh Steeler Jack Lambert.

He enjoyed his family, hunting, fishing, gardening and old-fashioned country music.

Mr. Spohn was a member of the St. Mary of the Assumption Roman Catholic Church in Herman; the Military Order of the Devil Dogs; the Marine Corps Association; the Marine Corps League; the Fleet Reserve Association, Steel City Branch 253; the Retired Enlisted Association; the R.C. Mens Club, Herman; the VFW Post 249, Butler; the American Legion; the Summit Township Sportsman Club; the Butler City Hunting and Fishing Club; the Butler Moose Lodge 64; the Herman Volunteer Fire Department; the East Butler Fireman's Club and the NRA.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 46 years, Sarah Jane Hurst Spohn, who died April 1, 2004; and a brother, Richard Spohn.

Surviving are his wife, Nancy Jardine Spohn, who he married Aug. 1, 2009; three children, Michael A. (Kelli) Spohn of Fenelton, Suzanne Spohn (Belynda Slaugenhaupt) of Harmony and Karen (Tom) McCreary of Butler; three sisters, Genevieve Moore and Mary Lou Bollinger, both of Meridian, and Camilla (John) Adams of Butler; and three brothers, Chester (Verna) Spohn and Michael (Elizabeth) Spohn, both of Butler, and Joseph (Mary Ann) Spohn of Kansas City, Kan. He also is survived by his five precious grandchildren, Jonathan and Haley McCreary and Jesse, Levi and Colton Spohn.

<B>SPOHN</B> — Friends of Sgt. Maj. Alfred N. “Nick” Spohn Jr., who died Monday, May 30, 2011, will be received at the <B>Geibel Funeral Home</B>, 201 E. Cunningham St., Butler, from 1 to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m. today. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday at the St. Mary of the Assumption Roman Catholic Church, 821 Herman Road, Butler. The Rev. Ward Staken, O.F.M. Cap., pastor, will officiate. Burial will follow at the parish cemetery with military honors being provided by the Bantam Detachment of the Marine Corps League.Information also is available at www.geibelfuneralhome.com.