BOSMA, OSCAR A.
Major Oscar A. Bosma, 52, United States Marine Corps and a native of New Holstein, died at U.S. Naval Hospital, St. Alban’s, Long Island, N.Y., Thursday afternoon [October 27, 1960] following a long illness.
He was born May 29, 1908, in New Holstein, the son of Mrs. Henry Dishaw, 2109 Broadway, New Holstein, and the late E.J. Bosma. He attended public elementary and high school in New Holstein, graduating in 1926.
He joined the Marine Corps in January, 1932, at the age of 23 and spent all his adult life in military service. Prior to World War II he was stationed at the U.S. embassy in Peiping, China, for seven and a half years.
He returned to this country in 1941 to join the famous Carlson’s Raiders which fought at Guadalcanal and in several other battles during the war. He received a Presidential Citation for meritorious conduct during World War II.
Following the war he was reassigned to China as a liaison officer because of his ability to speak several dialects of Chinese. When the Korean War began he was sent there and later was awarded a medal for valor for conduct in that war.
In 1957 he was assigned to a Marine base in Albany, Ga., where he remained until his illness.
He was married to Mrs. Verlyne Cox at Yuma, Ariz., in November, 1944.
In addition to his mother and wife, he is survived by two step-daughters, Mrs. William (Darlene) Shipman of Cairo, N.Y., and Mrs. John (Judith) Fant of Honolulu, Hawaii; six grandchildren; three brothers, John of New Holstein, Verdon of Mobile, Ala., and Duane of Cincinnati, Ohio; two sisters, Miss Mildred Bosma of Odessa, Wash., and Mrs. Edgar Greve in rural Kiel.
His body will be returned to the Erbe-Hoffmann Funeral Home in New Holstein.
Funeral arrangements are pending.