DECHAINE, JOE AND WINNIE (BOYER)

by LaVerne Keller Paul

Entry F106 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Joe and Winnie DeChaine 1961

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.