January 29, 1920 – October 18, 2020
Lt. Col. George W. Mendenhall (USAF, Ret.), 100, Jacksonville, Ala., passed away Sunday, October 18, 2020 at Noland Health Services in Anniston, Ala.
George was born and raised in the Midwest in and around Baker’s Corner and Sheridan. He graduated from Sheridan High School in 1937. He joined the U.S. Army Air Corp on February 20, 1942, serving just under 30 years in the U.S. Air Force as an Accounting and Finance Officer, retiring on June 1, 1971. He had assignments overseas in Japan and Germany and across the country from Montana to Washington, D.C. He received the Legion of Merit medal at retirement for “exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services.”
After retirement, he started a new career as an insurance/investment agent for United Service Insurance Company from 1975 to 1991, whose client base was primarily active duty or retired military. He fit the job perfectly and was very successful.
George married Molly Marvin from Greenwood, Va., on September 10, 1944. Sadly, she passed away in 1949. They had two children, George Jr. and Molly. Then he was blessed to marry the lovely Elaine Devaughn from Lineville, Ala., on February 27, 1954 who not only became his wife but mother to George Jr. and Molly, ages 8 and 4. Their son, Eddie, was born in 1957 when the family was stationed at Rhein Main AFB in Germany. After military retirement, the Mendenhalls settled in Jacksonville, Ala., in 1973.
He is survived by his children, George W. Mendenhall, Jr., French Village, Mo., and Molly Suling and her husband, Jeff, Palmyra, Va., and daughter-in-law, Jane Mendenhall, Richmond, Va.; six grandchildren, Heather Mendenhall, George W. Mendenhall III, Allison Mendenhall, Jeffrey Benjamin Suling, Keene Mendenhall and Jessie Elaine Mendenhall; five great-grandchildren, Lauren Bonnett, Andrew Bonnett, Addison McLemore, Corey Suling and Danielle Mendenhall and one on the way. George is also survived by a younger brother, age 97, Donald Mendenhall, Lebanon.
George is preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Elaine Devaughn Mendenhall, who passed away recently on August 23, and by his youngest son, John Edwin “Ed” Mendenhall, who also passed away recently on October 8. He is also preceded in death by his parents, John and Mary Mendenhall, Sheridan, and three siblings, Louise M. Hines, Howard “Joe” Mendenhall and Harold “Red” Mendenhall.
A private graveside service with military honors will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 24, 2020 at Lineville City Cemetery. Dr. Derek Staples will officiate. The family will receive friends from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday, October 23 at K.L. Brown Funeral Home and Cremation Center.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to your favorite charity or any Veteran organization.
Online condolences may be sent to klbrownfuneralhome.com.