Palestine High School Alumni Association

04 / 17 / 1925  –  07 / 15 / 2008

Services for J.P. Kohler Jr., 83, of Longview will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Bailey and Foster Funeral Home Chapel Palestine with the Rev. Lynn Willhite officiating. Burial will be in the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Elkhart. Arrangements are under the direction of Bailey and Foster Funeral Home Palestine.Mr. Kohler passed away Tuesday at a Longview hospital. He was born April 17, 1925 in Anderson County (Swanson Hill Community) to J.P. and Helen Kohler. Mr. Kohler retired from Union Pacific Railroad as general road foreman of engines after 44 years of service. He was a member of the International Association of Railway Operating Officers Association, Chicago, Ill., and BLE Div. 755 DeQuincy, La. He was a Navy veteran having served at NAS at Corpus Christi and aboard the aircraft carrier USS Altamaha CVE 18 in the Pacific during World War II. He was a member of Palestine Masonic Lodge No. 31, Palestine Commandery No. 3 and Sharon Shrine Temple. Mr. Kohler is survived by his wife, Mary Alice of Longview; daughter and son-in-law, Andrea and Donald Rhoads of Longview; grandson, Wesley Solomon of Longview; granddaughter, Rachel Ann Rhoads of Longview; two sisters, Dortha Dore’ of Lake Palestine and Billie Doubrava of Victoria; brother and sister-in-law, Michael and Janelle Kohler of Plano; several cousins, nieces, nephews and many friends. Pallbearers will be Bart Kohler, Chad Kohler, A.L. Kohler, Michael Kohler, Robert Kohler and Mike Kohler. Condolence calls will be received from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at Bailey and Foster Funeral Home Palestine.In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Masonic Scholarship Fund.

Published in the Herald-Press from 7/17/2008 – 7/19/2008