10-18-2018 William A. Furlan, WWII Veteran turns 100 years old; open house Friday; Time marches on;

William A. Furlan, WWII Veteran turns 100 years old; open house Friday

William (Bill) Alphonso Furlan was born in Chicago, IL on October 19, 1918 to Guiseppe (Joe) Furlan and Emma (nee Voltarel) Furlan. At 100 years old on October 19, 2018 he still remembers the address where he grew up: 2952 No. McVicker Avenue. He was the fifth of six children, the eldest being Charles (Chuck), then Marcella, Ida, Oliver (Ollie or Nin) and the youngest, Arthur (Tootie).

When Bill was around 8 years old, his father bought a 40-acre farm just west of Hartford and moved the family to Michigan. Thirty of the acres were situated on the north side of the CSX railroad tracks and 10 were on the south side. He remembers there was a huge boulder in the middle of the 30 acre tract. They had a cow, a horse, grew fruits and vegetables and raised lots of chickens whose eggs not only sustained the family but provided income. As children, when the coal trains went by, the boys would throw fruits and vegetables to (or at?) the men “riding the rails” (hobos) and they, in turn would throw coal back at them. After the train went by the boys would gather up the lumps of coal and take it home to use. When the family could finally afford a furnace it was installed by a man named Mr. Hickey. Bill remembers that Mr. Hickey’s motto was “Let Hickey of Hartford heat your home with healthy, humid heat.” Bill went to grade school at a one room school house just down the road from the farm in Hartford and spent his high school years at Watervliet where he was an avid and talented football player. He remembers running the four miles from the farm to the high school and then running back home after practice. His was the first class to graduate from the “new” high school in 1937. His brothers, Chuck and Tootie were both into boxing so it was only natural that Bill became interested. The three of them would train regularly and compete in bouts all across Michigan. Bill was a Golden Gloves Champion many times and continued to box after joining the Army. He was inducted on December 19, 1942; entered active duty on December 26, 1942 and was landed in Normandy two or three days after D-Day. Because of his life on the farm, he was assigned to B Company, 358th Engineers as Technician Fifth Grade and served as a truck driver with truck company 3626, taking troops to their assigned regiments, bringing them back when their tour was over and providing provisions to the men throughout the war. He was stationed primarily in the European Theater serving in battles and campaigns in Normandy, Northern France and the Rhineland. As his company was leaving the landing area, Bill’s truck got stuck in the sand and he was left behind. A few hours later his commanding officer returned and assisted in getting him and his truck back on the road to rejoin his regiment. Bill’s company was part of the Red Ball Express, a famed truck convoy system that supplied Allied forces moving quickly through Europe after breaking out from the D-Day beaches in 1944. In order to expedite cargo to the front, trucks emblazoned with red balls followed a similarly marked route that had been closed to civilian traffic. These trucks were also given priority on regular roads. Bill remembers delivering fresh oranges to Gen. Eisenhower’s headquarters in Paris and still has one of the oranges (although it looks more like a walnut now). He also has a fond memory of driving his truck through the Eifel Tower during a black out with the MPs trying to wave him over. He just waved back and kept right on going. Bill was discharged with honors on December 15, 1945. He was awarded the EAME Ribbon with five Bronze Stars for meritorious service in a combat zone, the Good Conduct Medal and the Victors Medal World War II. Before entering the service, Bill met Mary Jane Newnum of Coloma. They were married April 19, 1942. After returning home from the Army they lived for a short time with his brother Chuck and his family in Benton Harbor, then bought a little house on Shore Lane in Watervliet. Jane and Bill were both avid gardeners and enjoyed many hours together golfing, bowling and traveling to Florida in the winter. They raised three children on Shore Lane, Sharon Sue, Mark William (deceased), and Larry Allen. Bill and Jane were married for more than 63 years until Jane’s passing in 2006. Bill still resides on Shore Lane with his daughter Sharon. He enjoys life including watching ‘’the world go by”, his birds at the feeders, flowers, cookies and taking rides in the car. He is in excellent health and takes his cane for a walk down his long driveway several times each day, weather permitting. He continues to amaze his family and friends with quips and humorous memories. When he was 98 in 2016 while sitting on his front porch he saw a bicycler riding by. Out of the blue he said to Sharon: “I wonder if he has a license.” “For what?” she asked. “Well, he’s peddling isn’t he?” Bill says he attributes his long life to growing up on the farm and eating fresh foods, not smoking or drinking and trying not to take things too seriously. Friends and family are invited to stop by on October 19 from 1 to 5 p.m. to wish Bill a happy 100th birthday.

Coloma United Methodist Church rummage sale to benefit hungry children This Saturday, Oct. 20, Coloma United Methodist Church is holding a rummage sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Items included in the sale are holiday decorations, household items, clothing, and costume jewelry. All proceeds go to the Back Pack Program – a local mission to feed hungry children. Coloma UMC is located at 144 S. Church Street.

Swiss Steak Dinner fund raiser Oct. 27 for Watervliet Hospital Auxiliary Lakeland Hospital, Watervliet Auxiliary will host their Semi-Annual Swiss Steak Dinner on Saturday, Oct. 27 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the North Berrien Senior, 6648 Ryno Road in Coloma. Ticket cost is $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children under age 7. Tickets may be purchased at Park Bench Gift Shop, located in the Hospital Lobby, the Senior Center or from any of auxiliary volunteers.

WATERVLIET ON TIME AGAIN… Attending the dedication ceremony last Friday in Watervliet are DDA Chair Bob Becker, DDA Secretary Tim Freeburn, NBCD Coordinator Chana Kniebes, City Manager Tyler Dotson, Mikki Swisher of Coloma American Homes R.E., Kim O’Donoghue and Stephanie Martinek of St. Joseph Honor Credit Union, Jennifer Helms, Patti Badner from Kemner Iott Agency of Cass County in Cassopolis, Carol Wight-Barrett and Louis Price from New Buffalo Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Mary Watkins of Stevensville First American Title, Mark VanDusen of Edwardsburg Cressy & Everett Real Estate, Anne Gain of St. Joseph @properties Michigan and George Lucas of Union Pier RE/MAX Harbor Country.

Time marches on; new Downtown Watervliet clock dedicated

By Bob Becker – DDA Chairman Date Line Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. in downtown Watervliet, time began again. On a wet, cold and soggy Friday afternoon a new Lumichron clock was dedicated adjacent to Library Park, a clock that had many ‘hands’ to bring to fruition. The list is long and was begun by Chana Kniebes and the North Berrien Community Development (NBDC) applying for a $3,500 grant offered by the Michigan Realtors Association (MRA). The grant application began a time line of searching for a clock supplier, Lumichron Clock Company, petitioning the U.S. Postal Service in Watervliet to allow moving downtown mail boxes and working with C and H Concrete to lay the slab for the mail boxes and the pedestal for the new clock. The many hands were coordinated by City Manager Tyler Dotson and Watervliet Public Works Director Jeff Allen working with the support of the city’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA). Attending the dedication were local members of the Michigan Realtors Association, Kim and Rob Bryant from C and H Concrete, City Manager Tyler Dotson, NBCD Coordinator Chana Kniebes, Jennifer Helms, a candidate for Watervliet City Commission and members of the DDA Board. Also present were Robin Kniebes of Grapevine Nursery who prepared the ground for planting native grasses and decorative mums.