DECHAINE, JOE AND WINNIE (BOYER)

Joe DeChaine was born May 5, 1921 in Winslow, Maine. During World War II, he served in the Air Force with and was a close `army buddy' of LaVern Boyer. Joe and LaVern and several others were on a mission when the plane was shot down. LaVern was killed and Joe was taken prisoner in Germany where he remained for eleven months. After he returned to the United State, he came to visit LaVern's family in NE. Joe and Winnie kept in touch and on August 25, 1948, they were married in Livermore, California.

Upon returning to Mullen, Joe worked at the Farmer's Elevator. He completed a correspondence course in electronics and did a great deal of appliance and TV/radio repair work. After they built their new home, Joe had a repair shop in his garage. At the time of his death, he was working at the Mullen Co-op. Winnie had started doing alterations and dressmaking and over the years, she had quite a business.

After Joe's untimely death on June 21, 1966, Winnie continued with her sewing and cared for her father until his death in 1971. Winnie died at the St. Joseph Gerontology Center in Alliance on May 28, 1985.