Mears, James Benjamin

1920 - 1968  (48 years)

• Name	Mears, James Benjamin
  Birth	7 Mar 1920	Kenney, DeWitt County, Illinois   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Reference Number	MEAR.J001
  _FGRAVE	39505662
  Funeral	Funeral services for James B. Mears of 2521 E. Eldorado St. will be at 1 p.m. Friday Brintlinger's Funeral Home, with burial in Macon County Memorial Park. Friends may call in the funeral home after 4 p.m. today.
  Military Service	World War II, Technician Fourth Grade, 385th Signal Company, 101st Avaiation, United States Army  [3]
  	per his daughter Barbara, he served with the 101st Airborne Division
  		United States of America Flag, 48 Stars (1912-1959) In 1912, two stars were added to the United States flag, representing Arizona and New Mexico, bringing the total number of stars to 48. They were arranged in six rows of eight stars each. American fighting men would fight under this flag during four wars: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the beginning of the Vietnam War. (In 1959,…
  		United States Army
  		Technician Fourth Grade, United States Army and United States Army Air Forces (Sep 1942-Aug 1948) This insignia was worn during World War II. The Technician ranks were removed from the U.S. Army rank system in 1948, although the concept was brought back with the Specialist ranks in 1955.
  		Technician Fourth Grade, United States Army and United States Army Air Forces (Sep 1942-Aug 1948) This insignia was worn during World War II. The Technician ranks were removed from the U.S. Army rank system in 1948, although the concept was brought back with the Specialist ranks in 1955.
  		United States Army Enlisted Rank Insignia
  		World War II (1939-1945)
  Death	15 May 1968  [1, 4]
  Burial	Macon County Memorial Park, Harristown, Macon County, Illinois   [1]
  		Headstone, Mears, James B.
  		Headstone, Mears, James B.
  Person ID	I5838	Carl Wayne Gray Research | Mears - Spurgeon William M. 'Uncle Billy' Mears and Cynthia Ann Spurgeon Descendants
  Last Modified	30 May 2024

  
  

  Father	Mears, Raymond Stanley 'Ray',   b. 8 May 1895, Herrick, Shelby County, Illinois d. 19 Sep 1967, Clinton, DeWitt County, Illinois (Age 72 years)
  Mother	Walters, Opal,   b. 1900, Chrisney, Spencer County, Indiana d. 28 Feb 1984, Clinton, DeWitt County, Illinois (Age 84 years)
  Marriage	Y  [5]
  Family ID	F3157	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Bertrang, Ellen Jean,   b. 3 Mar 1921, Lincoln, Logan County, Illinois d. 13 Jan 2012, Cisco, Piatt County, Illinois (Age 90 years)
  Marriage	27 Oct 1945	Mount Pulaski, Logan County, Illinois   [1]
  Age at Marriage	He was 25 years and 7 months - She was 24 years and 7 months.
  Children	+ 1. Mears, B.J. + 2. Mears, G.A. + 3. Mears, W.J. + 4. Mears, Dale Ray,   b. 4 May 1952, Decatur, Macon County, Illinois d. 8 May 2004 (Age 52 years) + 5. Mears, Roger Kent,   b. 17 Jan 1955, Decatur, Macon County, Illinois d. 15 Jan 2023 (Age 67 years) + 6. Mears, Dona Lynn,   b. 20 Jan 1957, Decatur, Macon County, Illinois d. 13 Apr 2023 (Age 66 years) + 7. Mears, P.S.   8. Mears, G.A.
  Family ID	F3149	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	31 Jan 2023

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 7 Mar 1920 - Kenney, DeWitt County, Illinois Marriage - 27 Oct 1945 - Mount Pulaski, Logan County, Illinois Burial - - Macon County Memorial Park, Harristown, Macon County, Illinois  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Photos		James Benjamin Mears (1920-1968)
  		James Benjamin and Ellen (Bertrang) Mears

  
  

• Notes

  Funeral services for James B. Mears of 2521 E. Eldorado St. will be at 1 p.m. Friday Brintlinger's Funeral Home, with burial in Macon County Memorial Park. Friends may call in the funeral home after 4 p.m. today. Mr. Mears, 48, died in St. Mary's Hospital at 7:15 a.m. Wednesday. Mr. Mears was born March 7, 1920, in Kenney, a son of Ray S. and Opal Walters Mears. He married Jean Bertrang Oct. 27, 1945 in Mount Pulaski. She survives. He moved to Decatur from Lincoln 20 years ago. He was a truck driver for Purity Baking Co. He served with the Army in World War II. He was affiliated with St. Paul's United Methodist Church and Kenney American Legion Post. Mr. Mears leaves his mother, Mrs. Opal Mears, Linton; four daughters, Mrs. Everett (Barbara) Shingleton and Mrs. William (Gloria) Reynolds, both of Decatur, and donna Lynn and Penni Sue at home; four sons, William James, Dale Ray, Roger Kent and Glen Allen, all at home; three sisters, Mrs. Kermit (Eva) Wright, Warrensburg; Mrs. Viola Anderson and Mrs. William (Sharon) Stephenson, both of Clinton; a brother, Eldon Mears, Decatur; and one grandson. One brother preceded him in death. The Decatur Herald (Decatur, Illinois)-Thu., May 16, 1968 - Page 22 Our Mom Ellen Jean Bertrang Mears is now next to our dad She was B 3-3-1920 D 1-13-2012 at Penni Olson's house in Cisco Brother Dale Ray Mears is buried about 20 feet southwest of our parents in Macon County Memorial Park.

  
  

• Sources

  [S2155] http://www.findagrave.com, Obituary, Mears, James Benjamin, (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39505662/james-benjamin-mears), none. (Reliability: 2). [S2155] http://www.findagrave.com, Obituary, Mears, James Benjamin, (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39505662/james-benjamin-mears), none. [S2156] http://www.findagrave.com, Headstone, Mears, James B., (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39505662/james-benjamin-mears), none. (Reliability: 2). [S15581] echovita, Obituary, Mears, Roger Kent, (https://www.echovita.com/us/obituaries/il/mount-zion/roger-kent-mears-15836001?fbclid=IwAR3c4Q2RuJ2dzEroly69n-dTEfJOQl7P), none. (Reliability: 2). [S3802] https://www.findagrave.com, Headstone, Mears, Opal and Ray S., (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24958056/raymond-stanley-mears), none. (Reliability: 2).