Lt. Col.(Ret)Shermans. Washburn, Jr.

Funeral services for Lt. Col (Ret) Sherman S. Washburn, Jr., 95 of Junction City, KS will be held at 10 a.m., Monday, May 2, 2011 at Penwell-Gabel Johnson Chapel with Reverend Dr. Kenton Van officiating. Burial with full military honors will follow at Fort Riley Cemetery. Visitation will be Sunday, May 1, 2011, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Penwell-Gabel Johnson Chapel, 203 N. Washington Street. In lieu of flowers the family has requested that memorial contributions be given to the First United Methodist Church, 804 N. Jefferson, Junction City, KS 66441.

On Good Friday, April 22, 2011 we lost a true gentleman: loving husband to Marthell, devoted father of three, grandfather of eleven, dedicated military officer, and sincere friend to countless people across the globe. Sherman Samuel Washburn, Jr., was a great man, who touched the lives of many throughout the chapters of his long and full life. He is at peace, joining his wife of 61 years, but we will miss him dearly. We ask that you keep our family in your thoughts and prayers. Friends and guests of this kind, wonderful man are invited to the service, and to share your memories, thoughts and experiences in the guest book.

Sherman lived a long and abundant life. He reached 95 years of age and was married to Marthell for 61 of those years. He was the oldest of four children and the last survivor of his generation. He died peacefully of age-related causes at hospice care in Austin, Texas surrounded by his sons and granddaughters. Three sons and their wives survive him: Sherman S. Washburn, III and Machelle, James J. and Gloria, and William W. and Hanalee.
Sherman Jr. was born in Dallas, Texas on November 27, 1915, son of Julia Ellen Rose and Sherman S. Washburn. Most of his youth was in Memphis, Tennessee, but he graduated from Clarksdale Mississippi High School in May of 1932. After graduation he moved to Jonesboro, Arkansas to work at a car dealership as the parts manager. His younger brother, Richard, introduced him to a smart, beautiful high school girl, Marthell Weir, at the Methodist Church of Jonesboro. They fell madly in love and eloped, getting married on Sherman's birthday in 1937 in Marion, Arkansas. "Best birthday present in the history of the world," he would say. They were happily married for 61 years until her death in 1999. The marriage survived the last years of the Depression, the Second World War, the Korean War, and globetrotting to Okinawa, Texas, Oklahoma, Holland, Germany and that foreign country called Kansas. They were happy and content, and made a wonderful life for themselves and their children.

Sherman had several loves in his life. First and foremost was Marthell. His world revolved around her. Second were his three boys, Sam, Jim, and Bill – or as one troublemaker was often known, "Sa-Ji-Bi", in frustration. Third had to be his model railroad. Sherman began collecting HO scale model trains after seeing them at the Chicago World's Fair in 1930. His collection grew over the years to cover almost 500 square feet of track, over 100 locomotives with thousands of railroad cars, whole towns, countless buildings and realistic scenes of people interacting with trains. Other passions included literature – both classic and fantastic – music, and, of course, his sports' passions of football, baseball, tennis and golf.

Sherman was a good high school player – a pitcher of note. However, Sherman had the dubious distinction of losing a no-hitter. In a high school game, he had pitched for 8 2/3 innings and then walked a batter. The defense made two consecutive throwing errors, loading the bases. The coach pulled him and the next pitcher served up a single, which scored the winning run. Clarksdale lost 2-1. Sherman was the losing pitcher of record with 8 2/3 innings, 1 walk and no hits. He was also the men's singles Tennis Champion in Jonesboro, Arkansas in 1936. In later years, he played golf and watched sports whenever he could – only football, baseball and tennis, though. It was the only TV he cared about.
Sherman enlisted in the National Guard on Dec. 2, 1937 to supplement family income from the car dealership. By 1941 he was the acting Regimental Sergeant Major. Sherman was in Ft. Lewis, Washington on the infamous date December 7, 1941, and never came home to Jonesboro. Instead, he was sent to his first of many overseas assignments. The first was Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Then, the Army needed experienced officers and Sherman was ordered to Officer Candidate School, commissioned, and stationed in Panama to protect the Canal. With the invasion of Europe imminent, he was reassigned to England and followed the D-Day invasion into France. He commanded a highly sensitive and recently developed weapon called radar. During the Battle of the Bulge, the Army's general staff realized that they had already won the air war and could not risk radar falling into enemy hands, so they pulled the radar units back to England, leaving Sherman's unit to reform and advance into Germany with Allied Forces. Sherman's unit was the first non-infantry unit across the Rhine at Remagen and into Germany. There he liberated one of the concentration camps in Germany and it created a life-long impression of the horrors of war and the necessity of humane treatment for all people.

The Korean War was another gruesome chapter in his life. However, in 1953 he was reassigned to Okinawa, and Marthell and the three boys joined him. Returning to the States in 1956, Sherman and family were stationed in Texas and then Oklahoma, before the next overseas assignment to the Netherlands, where Sherman and Marthell made lifelong friends. Then, it was Heidelberg, Germany during the height of the Cold War. Sherman was "the chief Spook" in charge of the safety and security of US Army nuclear weapons in Europe. When that tour was over, the Army sent him "as far from the Russians and he could go" – Fort Riley, Kansas.

By 1966, Sherman had risen to the rank of Lt. Col., and it was either go to Viet Nam, risk combat once again and endure the separation from Marthell and the boys one more time – or retire. Sherman retired with 28 years of service to his country in the United States Army. He had given the country his best.
Sherman and Marthell lived out their days in this wonderful town of Junction City, preferring to be here, enriched by friends and the warm fellowship of the community. They lived here contentedly until her death in 1999. Sherman remained here to be close to her for another decade. Then it seemed loneliness called him to spend his last days in Austin, Texas surrounded by most of his children and grandchildren. He died peacefully on Good Friday in the supportive company of family. Now, Sherman Washburn returns to his home of 46 years for his well earned rest.

Sherman Samuel Washburn, Jr. was a great gentleman by every measure.
Thank you, Sherman – father and friend, for a life well spent. We will miss you.