Leroy Richter

.Born September 13, 1922 to John F. and Sophie (Tobola) Richter. Died October 27, 2010, age 88, after a lengthy illness. Preceded in death by parents, brothers Wenzel (Jim), Charlie, Johnny, Frank and Edmund. Survived by wife Melba, sons Robert Leroy and wife Judy, Roy Lee and wife Angie, 3 step-daughters Teresa, Pamela, and Donna Whaley and husband John Mitchell, 8 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren, brothers Victor, August and George and sister Josephine Lewis, many nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews. Grew up in the Flatonia area. He joined the National Guard in Waelder in 1938. He was only 16 but tall and passed for 18. Company L, 36th Division, 141st infantry was mobilized at Camp Bowie in 1940. His unit made invasion at Salerno, Italy. After 3 months of combat he was captured at Casino, Italy at the Rapido River. He was a prisoner of war for nearly 16 months and suffered many hardships, starvation, extreme cold and hard labor. He worked in the oil field for several years after returning from service. In 1962 he and his wife Melba began Richter Water Well Drilling. He started with nothing but an old shop built rig and a butane tank chained to an old flatbed truck for a water truck, and worked from sun up to sun down and established a large business. From kitchen table to spacious office and plant. He loved the water well profession and its challenges and valued his customers who became friends. His health deteriorated in 2000 and he retired. He was a member of Flatonia Baptist Church, life member of 36th Division Assoc., and X-POW Association, past officer of Texas Water Well Assoc. and member of the American Legion. He quietly contributed to many of the youth activities in the community and could never say "no" to kids selling tickets or advertising sports or Girl Scout cookies. Family requests contributions to the Flatonia Baptist Church building fund or the Flatonia Veterans Museum in lieu of flowers, or donors choice. Pallbearers for the services are: Steve Morrill, Richard Miller, Robert Syrinek, Bobby Joe Sellers, Eddy Griffin and Dan Bowling. Honorary pallbearers - his ex-POW brothers. Visitation will be 8:00 am Saturday, October 30, 2010 at Smith Funeral Home Chapel in Flatonia. Funeral Services will be 2:00 pm Sunday, October 31, 2010 at Flatonia Baptist Church with Rev. Tim officiating. Interment will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery in Flatonia. Words of comfort may be shared with the family at www.smithfunealhomeflatonia.com Smith Funeral Home - 128 East 5th Street - Flatonia, Texas 78941 361-865-3311
Visitation Saturday, October 30, 2010

Funeral Service Sunday, October 31, 2010