Barger

Raymond K. "Shorty" Barger, 84, formerly of Plateau Street, Renfrew, died Sunday at the Butler VA Medical Center following a lengthy illness.

Born Dec. 4, 1921, in Karns City, he was the son of Raymond Barger and Estella Bartley.

Mr. Barger was retired from the strip shears department for AK Steel. He retired in 1982 after 35 years.

He was a veteran of the Army Air Corp. He served during World War II in the China-Burma-India Theater from 1944 to 1946. He flew 65 missions over the Himalaya Mountains, "The Hump," hauling supplies and troops between India and China.

He enlisted in the Air Force Reserves in 1947 and served with the 911th Air Group until 1973. From 1974 to 1976 he served with the Army Reserves.

He was a member and vice commander of the Fort Pitt Basha China-Burma-India Veterans Association. He was a member of the VFW Post 249, the American Legion Post 778 of Lyndora and was an active member of the World War II Memorial Committee and a member of St. Fidelis Men's Club of Meridian.

Mr. Barger is survived by two daughters, Mrs. George (Sharyn) McDonald of Clarion and Mrs. Leslie (Christina) Donaldson of Butler; two sons, Richard and his wife, Patricia, Barger of Hummelstown, Dauphin County, and William and his wife, Lynn, Barger of Greensburg; 12 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, a number of nieces and nephews; two brothers, Bernard Barger of Butler and Myron Barger of Gibsonia; and three sisters, Barbara Ruffner of Spring Hill, Fla., Phyllis Breitmas of Palm Coast, Fla., and Sandra Merchant of Butler.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Edna M. "Eddie" Barger, who died Nov. 21, 1999; a brother; grandson, and great-granddaughter.

<B>BARGER</B> — Friends of Raymond K. "Shorty" Barger who died Sunday, Aug. 27, 2006, will be received from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday at the <B>Thompson-Miller Funeral Home</B>, 124 E. North St. Butler.Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday at the St. Fidelis Catholic Church with Father James Murphy of St. Fidelis Catholic Church officiating. Interment will follow in Bear Creek Cemetery, Petrolia.In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the World War II Memorial Fund, Butler County Veterans Services, P.O. Box 1208, Butler, PA 16003.Military honors will be presented by VFW Post 249 following the funeral mass at St. Fidelis Catholic Church.Information also is available at www.thompson-miller.com.