Harry Eugene Theobald was born March 1, 1924 to Harry Bovell and Amalia Margaret Leimbach Theobald on the family farm northwest of Yates Center, KS.

He was a lifelong resident of YC until his death at age 95.  He was one of six children:  Trula (Wagner); Cleo; Haven; Galen, Harry and Lavonne (Cool).

At age 5, before Harry could harness the horses, he was expected to drive a team of 4 horses to harrow.  He did lots of the things that were expected of a boy growing up on a farm; getting wood up, milking cows, driving the team for the hay loader, thrashing, hauling manure, etc.  It wasn't all work though.  He and his siblings had many adventures he loved to tell about.   He attended Mt. Pisgah country school, first through seventh grades, and when that school burned down in 1935, he then went to school in Yates Center, graduating from YCHS in 1941.

He attended Kansas State University for one year, and while there the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor drawing us into WWII.  He and his lifelong friend, Richard McCormick, enlisted together into the Army Air Corps, both being inducted on Nov. 25, 1942.  They took training in aircraft mechanics school, and after that Harry was sent to Ft. Myers, FL to train at aerial gunnery school.  He was an excellent marksman training on shot guns, Thompson Submachine Gun, the M-1 Carbine, and the 50 Caliber machine gun.  He had to know how to disassemble and reassemble the 50 Caliber even while blindfolded.  He was assigned to his crew and additional training took place at Davis Monthan AFB, AZ for 3 months.  While there, doing night training, they had some harrowing close calls with the mountains.  Their crew was based out of Sudbury England, completing 35 successful missions.  Harry's position was as tail gunner, starting in the B-24 Liberator and then in the B-17, called the Winged Virgin.  Harry's plane was usually "tail-end" Charley (last plane in the formation due, he thought to his pilot's name being Zurkoff ).  Soon his crew was happy to be boarding the USS Brazil for home.  After seeing his folks for a short leave, it was back to the Army Air Corps, this time being assigned as instructor at aerial gunnery school at Laredo, TX, and then Sandia AFB at Albuquerque.  He was honorably discharged in Oct. '45, at the rank of Sergeant.  Over the years he kept in contact with his fellow crew mates and was the last surviving member.

He thought it was important for subsequent generations to understand the gravity of WWII and how easily we could have lost our freedom.  He has written in much more detail of his experiences and was always willing to share those with others.  He enjoyed writing a column for the YC News called "The Way It Was".

He served in the local VFW Post as Quartermaster for many years.

He became acquainted with Ula Brown in high school and they married June 2, 1946.  They welcomed 5 children into the world:  Nancy, Kendall, Cindy, Vanessa and Janie.  Over their 67 year marriage, they instilled in the children a love of God and country.

Harry did many things to pay the bills, but the majority of his employment was in the USPS; first as a sub in YC and then transferred to the Ft. Scott P.O.  While in Ft. Scott, both Harry and Ula earned their real estate licenses.  Harry worked with his hands and had good mechanical aptitude.  Through the years he built a home-made camper trailer and took the family on many trips seeing much of the USA.  In fact we believe he and mom visited all the states except Hawaii.  He enjoyed a wide variety of adventurous activities:  having his private pilot's license and owning his own plane.  Harry owned racecar #52 and with his mechanic ability kept his driver, Dale McDaniel going toward the finish line.  Harry liked to water ski, snow ski, and he enjoyed many kinds of music and sang tenor in a Barbershop Quartet.  He used his handyman skills to lead 4-H woodworking and automotive repair.  He repaired, built, and painted his way back and forth across YC. He enjoyed raising calves on his acreage and catfish in his pond. Another activity he really enjoyed were the many seasons of pheasant hunting in Western KS and S.D. with son, Kendall, and many other friends and relatives and he was known to be a good shot. There were very few parades he missed getting all decked out in a patriotic theme with either his 4-wheeler, tractor, or dog.  Many of us also know him as a great domino player.  He and Mom were well matched and played nearly every evening and we wouldn't be surprised if they were playing right now.   In later years, our parents owned a cabin in Colorado to escape the Kansas humidity and made many friends out there.

He liked to travel and see new things and went twice to Sudbury England for reunions where he had been stationed.  Cindy accompanied him the second time and they went on several other trips.  Four years ago they went to visit his pilot in New Jersey as they were the last two remaining of the crew. Last summer he and Cindy went to the Osh Kosh, WI fly-in where he was treated like royalty, as many wanted to hear first-hand from a WWII veteran.

He is preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Ula (Brown) Theobald, and son Kendall Theobald.  He outlived all of his siblings; Trula (Wagner), Cleo, Haven, Galen, and Lavonne (Cool).

Survivors are children Nancy VanDruff and husband Bob, Topeka, KS, Cynthia Blisard, Branson, MO, Vanessa Smith and husband Neal, Liberty, MO, Janie Matile and husband Chuck, Holcomb, KS; grandchildren:  Carrie VanDruff; Angela Theobald, Melissa Myer, Lindsay Farina, Jessica Milton; Lacey and Cameron Blisard; Clifton and Clarissa Smith; and Caitlin Matile; 9 Great Grandchildren; many other relatives and friends.

Funeral services will be held 2:00 P.M. Saturday, May 11, 2019, at the First Presbyterian Church in Yates Center. Burial with military honors will follow in Yates Center Cemetery.

The family will meet with friends from 1:00 P.M. until service time Saturday at the church.

Memorial contributions may be made to the First Presbyterian Church, the Yates Center Senior Center, or the Veteran's Community Project, and may be sent in care of Campbell Funeral Home, PO Box 188, Yates Center, KS 66783.