Earl Pankratz
Earl Cecil Pankratz, 96, a disabled U.S. Army veteran of World War II, died Monday, May 25, 2015, in Marion, Kansas. A celebration of life service was held with his family May 25.
Earl was born May 13, 1919, the son of Peter Eugene and Tena Irene (Williams) Pankratz in Durham, Kansas. On Oct. 26, 1940, he married Ruth Elizabeth (Cockley) in Kansas City, Missouri. She survives him.
Earl lived most of his life in Marion County, although he and Ruth lived the last 20 years in Newton. He served in the infantry in the European theater in WWII. Among other campaigns, he was a part of the Red Ball Express. He was a sergeant in infantry in Patton’s Army. Near the end of the war he suffered a serious wound that left him with limited use of one arm. In spite of this injury, he was a provider for his family until he retired from the City of Marion in 1981. Earl was a law enforcement officer for many years as an elected sheriff and undersheriff of Marion County and police officer in the City of Marion.
Earl had a brother, Ronald (deceased), and sister, Lenora Graham of Florence, Kansas. Other survivors include five children, Beverly (Bruce) Sloan of Butte, Montana; Dennis (Mary Ellen) of Santa Maria, California; Judy (Ron) Carpenter of Silverdale, Washington; Charles (Nancy) of Madison, Kansas; and Karen Pankratz of Santa Maria, California; 12 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren.
