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Ralph “Keith” Patton, 76

Graveside services will be 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 7 at the Blair Cemetery for Ralph “Keith” Patton, 76 who died Feb. 3, 1997 at Memorial Community Hospital in Blair. The Veteran of Foreign Wars Post will be in charge with Rev. Mark Meier officiating.

Ralph Patton was born March 15, 1920 on a farm near Chase, Kansas.

He joined the Army Air Corps at Ft. Riley, Ks. In 1940 and was sent to a military school at Ft. Crook, Nebr. in 1941. He spent two years with his squadron in the Panama Canal area, flying many submarine patrol missions on both sides of Central America and to provide some protection for the canal in case of attack similar to Pearl Harbor.

In January of 1944, his squadron was flown to Hickam Field near Honolulu, Hawaii, where they were given new airplanes to join the fight against Japan. They island hopped to Guam and the 20th Air Force where he flew combat missions until the end of World War II.

He left the Air Force at Sacramento, Calif. in 1953 and went to work for Flying Tiger airlines for two years in Burbank, Calif.; Lockeed and Marquardt Corp. in Van Nuys, Calif. He retired from Litton Guidance Systems in Woodland Hills, Calif. after 30 years on April 13, 1990.

He moved back to Blair for retirement in May of 1990.

He met Delores Deets from Blair while in the Omaha area. They were married May 28, 1942.

He was a member of the VFW and the Air Force Association.

He was preceded in death by his father and mother, John and Harriet Patton; a brother, Jerry Patton; a father-in-law and mother-in-law, Ross and Mona Deets and a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Harold and Dorothy Johnson.

He is survived by his wife, Delores; a niece Gayle Olsen; nephew, Rodney Olsen of Kennard; nephew and nieces, Steve and Renee Olsen of Blair and Tracey Beerbohm of Blair.

Memorials may be directed to the cancer, diabetes, arthritis or heart associations.

Campbell-Aman Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

~~ Obituary courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. News clippings on file in the Blair, Nebraska Public Library~~~

FindaGrave # 115201996