What a great obituary. Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone Julie Cromwell <janncromwell@highland.net> wrote: >We will all miss Neal and his contributions to genealogy! Rest >peacefully friend!! > > >BYRGE, NEAL BURNARD, Senior Master Sergeant United States Air Force >Retired, departed for the "Wild Blue Yonder" 14 Mar 2011. Coal miner, >Soldier, Airman, and author of the published Byrge family genealogy, >Neal was born 14 Aug 1922 in Kettle Island, Bell County, Kentucky to the >late Jasper Porter Byrge (1899-1935), a native of Scott County, >Tennessee, and Dona Elsie Ferguson (1899-1952), a native of Claiborne >County, Tennessee. Preceded in death by Mona Geraldine Walters Byrge, >wife of 63 years; sisters Mary Helen (1928-1936), Lois Hope (m. Foster >Minton) (1920-2005), Francis Imogene (m. Walter Graham and Hatler Cook) >(1924-2003); sons Infant (b/d 1952), Thomas Porter (1945-2003), David >O'Neal (1947-2005); grandsons Kyle Burnard (b/d 1972) and Timothy Gordon >Fischer (1969-2003); and great-grandson Kember McCray Peele (b/d 2010). >Survived by daughters Mona Marlene (m. Phillip Angelo); Lucy L'Dona >Byrge (m. Jerry Tackett); and ten grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. > >On 17 Jan 1944, Neal married Mona Geraldine ("Jerry") Walters of >Middlesboro, Bell County, Kentucky, daughter of William Thomas Walters >(1874-1940) and Lucy Andrew (1884-1979), both natives of Whitley County, >Kentucky. Jerry was born 24 May 1924 in Spencer, McLean County, South >Dakota and died 26 July 2007, in Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida. > >At age 15, Neal skipped school to become a coal miner but, with all due >respect to coal miners, later decided it just wasn't for him. On 20 Sep >1940, at age 18, he enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps. A >veteran of the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations during World War >II, Sergeant Byrge served with the 63d Army Airways Communications >Service, part of the 14th Air Force "Flying Tigers." Subsequent tours >included 18 months in Alaska (1948-1949), and service during the Korean >Conflict with the "Mosquitoes" of the 6147th Tactical Control Group, >part of the 5th Air Force. Neal also served three years on the Island of >Bermuda (1963-1966), often joking that it "was one tough tour, but >someone had to take it." Senior Master Sergeant Byrge retired from the >United States Air Force on 1 Aug 1968, and continued working with the >Hillsborough County Automobile Inspection Department and Board of Public >Instruction until 1 Jan 1983. > >Known as "Pop" to some and "Gramps" to most, Neal never met a stranger. >Everyone was an opportunity for conversation, and it usually involved >genealogy or Florida State University football -- he was their biggest >fan. A Kentucky hillbilly with a big heart, Neal wanted more than >anything to simply be remembered. He got his wish - in so many ways, >Neal will forever be a part of us. He forever will be loved and missed >by all who knew him. > >The family will receive friends at 9:00 am Thursday, 17 Mar, at >Marsicano-B. Marion Reed-Stowers Funeral Home, 4040 Henderson Blvd in >Tampa, Florida. Funeral services will follow at 10:00 am in the funeral >home chapel with Pastor John Meisenbach officiating. Graveside services >and burial will be held at approximately 12:30 pm at the Florida >National Cemetery in Bushnell. > >In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Air Force >Aid Society at (800) 769-8951 or www.afas.org. > >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to TNMORGAN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message