Thomas Joseph Hollingshead's Obituary
ObituaryThomas Joseph HollingsheadThomas J. Hollingshead passed away Tuesday afternoon at St. Francis Hospital. Tom was born on January 28, 1925 at Lucein, Oklahoma. He graduated from Hayward High School in 1943. Cpl. Hollingshead entered the service in September of 1943 at the age of 18. He was first sent to Fort Sill where he trained with an infantry unit for five months at Camp Fannin, Texas and then embarked for overseas duty in May, 1944.In June, 1944, Tom took part in the D-Day invasion on the beaches of Normandy. He was a rifleman and used an M-1 rifle to fire on enemy positions and served on a 12 man squad whose duty it was to patrol, scout and rout out the enemy. He was in one of Patton’s spearheads that was cut off by the Germans and was taken captive, spending 10 months in a German prison camp at Stalag 7A, Moosburg, Germany. Army documents reveal that he received a wound while in action and reportedly spent some time in a German hospital.Tom was liberated by Patton’s troops on April 29th, 1945. At the time, he was not at the prison camp, but on a work detail at the railroad station in Munich where he and other inmates were filling in bomb holes made by American forces. The prison inmates were told to take the guns from the Germans, and then the Germans became their prisoners.After his service to our nation, Tom attended school at Oklahoma A & M College (now OSU), and then worked for Southwestern Bell as a lineman. Later he worked as an electrician, a television and radio repairman and owned his own television store for many years. Tom had a unique ability to repair almost anything; automobiles, electrical appliances, air conditioners, etc. The Hollingsheads never had a repairman at their home until Tom became ill several years ago.While working for Southwestern Bell and being stationed in Shawnee, Oklahoma, Tom met his future wife, Maybelle, on her second day in Shawnee. She had left her home in Kansas to attend Oklahoma Baptist University. Sharing his songbook in church with her began a romance that lasted for fifty plus years.Tom walked our his Christian faith as he served as an ordained deacon, Sunday School teacher and secretary and as he ministered to those in the hospital. Tom was always helping others. He was a gentle loving father to his three children and two grandchildren. His sweet spirit was evident in his supportive loving relationship with his wife.He is survived by his wife, Dr. Maybelle Hollingshead, sons Clayton Hollingshead and wife Jessica of Denver, Colorado and Joe Hollingshead of Tulsa, daughter, Dr. Marilyn Jo and husband Bradley Ward and two grandchildren, Thomas Joseph and Grace Marie Ward; brother, Jessie and wife, Thelma Hollingshead of Longview, Texas; and sisters, Ruth Goody and Ida Belle Walker of Riverside, Iowa.He was preceded in death by his parents, Claude W. and Ora Belle Hollingshead of Perry, OK.; two brothers, Orie of Wichita and Ralph Hollingshead of OKC.
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