11/25/1918 – 7/16/2016
Bellevue – Charles Edward Davis, 97, passed away on Saturday, July 16, 2016. Charles Davis was born on November 25,1918, in Adrian, Minnesota, to Aaron and Elfie (Cook) Davis. He graduated from Adrian High School in 1936. In June of 1942 he enlisted and served with the 101st Airborne.
In June of 2014 Davis was honored at the Eastern Nebraska Veterans Home in Bellevue, Nebraska, on the 70th Anniversary of the Normandy Invasion. Davis parachuted during the invasion in the wee hours of June 6, 1944. He was a 25 year old Army T/4 sergeant in the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. Charles was the last living trooper from Nebraska to have jumped at Normandy. He was honorably discharged with two Presidential Citations in December of 1945.
On January 14, 1950, Davis married Mary Beulah Wilder in Luverne, Minnesota. He went to work in floor covering, working for more than 38 years doing homes and commercial installations of carpet and tile. During his working years the couple lived in Sioux Falls, Kearns, Utah, and Omaha, Nebraska.
Davis is survived by son Gary Wilder and significant other Kerrie Jo Bray, daughter Patricia Jane (Bob) Swanhorst, two grandchildren; Rob(Lisa) Swanhorst and Randy(Karen) Swanhorst and great grandchildren Derek, Katie, Libby, and Jack Swanhorst and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by an infant son Francis, his wife Beulah, granddaughter Rena’e Wilder, his parents, five brothers and one sister.
Visitation Wednesday 2-4 PM Roeder Mortuary 2727 N 108th Street Omaha, NE. Graveside & Military Service Thursday (7/21/2016) 2:00 PM St. Catherine Cemetery Luverne, MN. All memorials may be directed to the Herreid Military Museum in Luverne, MN.
