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Veterans buried in Calvary Cemetery, Alta Vista, Iowa

Veterans of World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War
who are buried in Calvary Cemetery include:

Boehmer, Milton J.
Dietrich, Justin Edward
Dietrich, Paul Joseph
Frantzen, Dennis R.
Freidhof, Jerome N.
Hentges, Reynold Joseph Hentges, Elroy Francis
Hentges, Robert P.
Kolbert, Leo Nicholas
Kolbert, Linus J.
Kramer, Benjamin H. Loes, John L.
Lutkenhaus, Rudolph J.
Mahoney, John F.
Mahoney, Thomas L.
Marr, Elvoy M. Marvin, Virgil A.
McAvoy, Joseph Francis
Nehl, Robert J.
O'Donnell, J. William
Recker, Leon C. Recker, Leonard
Roethler, Frank S.
Roethler, Irving
Webb, Lloyd D.
Webb, Raymond C.

Photographs of these veterans' gravestones are given in alphabetical order. Most images show the back of the gravestone, which bears a plate with the veteran's name, rank, branch of service, decorations if any, and dates of birth and death. The first picture below shows the reverse of the gravestone for Milton J. Boehmer. The gravestone in the upper left corner is blank (not the grave of a veteran); the gravestone in the upper right corner is that of another veteran.
A few men are buried with military gravestones. They include Jerome N. Freidhof, Elvoy M. Marr, and Frank S. Roethler.
This list is incomplete and some dates are missing. Eventually I will photograph the front of the gravestones and add those I have missed. Pictures of graves in Union Cemetery, Alta Vista, will also be added. The aim is to represent both sides of every stone, as has been done for Leon C. Recker.
A few veterans names are marked with * because they are mentioned in History of Alta Vista, Iowa 1894-1994, pp. 95-108, the centennial book published in 1994. Information from the book that refers to the men buried in the Alta Vista cemeteries will be added, as it has been for Jerome N. Freidhof and Paul Johann (he is buried in Union Cemetery and his gravestone is not shown here).
The "Find a Grave" website has more information. For example, see this link for Frank S. Roethler, who died in World War I in France. The website gets his middle initial wrong (it is S., not L.). See the note attached to his name, below. I have not searched all these names in this website as of January 2020. For some, such as Irving Roethler, there is no additional information.

Boehmer, Milton J. Pfc USA Korea (7-30-1931 · 4-9-1986)

Dietrich, Justin Edward. (1943)

Dietrich, Paul Joseph. PFC USA Korea (1932 · 2017)

* Frantzen, Dennis R. Pfc HHC 2BDE 6 Army Vietnam (2-20-1951 · 10-3-71)

* Freidhof, Jerome N. Pfc Infantry USA Iowa World War II (9-1-1919 · 12-25-44)

Hentges, Reynold Joseph. LtCol USAF World War II (3-15-1924 · 11-5-1995)

Hentges, Elroy Francis. S1 USN World War II (10-14-1916 · 5-12-2004)

Hentges, Robert P. TSgt USA World War II (5-25-1919 · 6-3-2006)

Kolbet, Leo Nicholas. Sgt ?? US Army Air Force date?

Kolbet, Linus J. Pfc USA Korea (3-12-1927 · 9-17-1986)

Kramer, Benjamin H. PFC Co M 119 Infantry WW1 (10-23-1890 · 10-23-1971)

Loes, John L. Cpl USA (4-11-1930 · 10-1-2013)

Lutkenhaus, Rudolph J. Tec4 USA World War II (2-6-1918 · 4-3-1985)

Mahoney, John F. Sp3 USA Korea (5-10-1933 · 6-14-1992)

Mahoney, Thomas L. Sgt USA (dates)

Marr, Elvoy M. Pfc Hq Co 361 Infantry World War II BSM & OLC (7-25-1915 · 2-20-1966)

Marvin, Virgil A. USA World War II (1924? · 2013?)

McAvoy, Joseph F. A1c USAF Korea (9-8-1931 · 11-22-2006)

Nehl, Robert J. AMH1 USN (7-14-1938 · 4-7-1976)

O'Donnell, J. William (1893 · 1978)

Recker, Leon C. A1c USAF Korea (6-5-1930 · 4-13-2000)

Recker, Leonard. USA World War II Purple Heart ( dates )

Roethler, Frank S. World War I (d. March 11, 1918). For picture, go to this link. The certificate for shipping his grave marker is also available at this site. Please see note below.

Roethler, Irving (1893-1934)

Webb, Lloyd D. S Sgt USA World War II. Purple Heart (4-25-1923 · 10-30-2000)

Webb, Raymond C. Tec5 USA World War II (12-4-1913 · 5-4-1983)

Frank S. Roethler

Just a little time spent trying to track down information on Frank S. Roethler shows how complicated and uncertain the records are. The memorial stone says that he died on Nov. 11, 2018, which was the very last day of World War I. The same date appears on the order for his gravestone at the Findagrave.com site. The Findagrave site memorial page gives the date of death as March 11, 1918. The Iowa Gravestones project says "Frank was born 3-30-1896, son of John and Margaret Roethler, killed in action during the battle of Argon Forest WWI 11-27-1917." The Argon-Meuse Offensive began Nov. 26, 1917 and lasted until the last day of the war. Any of the 3 death dates is possible: Nov. 27, 1917; March 11, 1918; Nov. 11, 1918. The memorial was ordered in 1930 by his mother, who lived in Waterloo at the time, but was to be shipped to his father, who lived in Elma. How real was the actual the date of Frank S. Roethler's death so many years and so many miles after the fact? Think too of all that had to happen before he could be buried in Alta Vista: his body found and identified in France; returned to the US; then sent to Iowa. His was one of thousands and thousands of bodies returned to the US for burial. Many more bodies remained in France.

Jerome Nicholas Freidhof

Jerome Nicholas Freidhof was born September 1, 1919, the first sone of Edward and Helena (Diederich) Freidhof. Jerome attended St. William School after which he assisted his dad in farming until he was drafted into the Army on November 14, 1941. He was sent overseas for duty in September 1943. He was wounded during the invasion of France, after which he was hospitalized in England for about 10 weeks. For heroic action in the invasion of France, he was awarded the Purple Heart. He returned to active duty in October 1944 and was killed in action December 25, 1944, at the Battle of the Bulge. His parents were awarded the 2nd Purple Heart for his bravery at the Battle of the Bulge.

Buried in Union Cemetery, Alta Vista: Paul Johann

[p. 96] Memorial services [p. 97] were held in Zion Lutheran Church on February 8, 1942, with Rev. K.J. Hodum officiating. Paul was Alta Vista's first World War II casualty. Paul spent most of his life around the Alta Vista community. He graduated from the Alta Vista Public School in 1937. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in Janurary of 1940, and was home on leave for the last time in May, before going to the Pacific. The last letter and word received by his parents here was written by Paul on November 28, 1941. The letter arrived after the Japanese attack. The Purple Heart was awarded posthumously to Peter and Malinda Johann 1944. Paul has a Military Stone and marker beside the graves of his parents in Union Cemetery in Alta Vista. At the time of his death, Paul was survived by his parents Peter and Malinda Johann, two brothers, Norbert and Robert; one sister, Norma, and grandmother Augusta (Wollwage) Joachim.

9-17-17
5-24-20