Palestine High School Alumni Association

00 / 00 / 0000  –  08 / 19 / 1991

Services for Claude Earl Westerman, Jr., 56 of Fort Myers, FL. were Thursday at Coral Ridge Funeral Home in Fort Myers with Rev. Bruce Ryan officiating.  Entombment was in Fort Myers.  Mr. Westerman a native of Palestine died August 19 at this home awaiting a heart transplant.  He was a graduate of Palestine High School and Austin College in Sherman.  He was a part of the Eilenberger Bakery in Palestine until the bread production was discontinued in 1968.

Mr. Westerman then moved to Fort Worth where he was production manager of Continental Baking Co.  He retired in 1988 from the baking division of Kroger as production manager for the northeast area of the United States.  He had lived in Fort Myers for 3 years, moving from Fort Thomas, KY.  He was a member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Palestine Chapter No. 10 R.A.M., Palestine Lodge No. 31 F&AM, Scottish Rites of Free Masonry, Valley of Orient of Covington, KY and Fort Myers Araba Temple.  He was a past president of the Jaycees of Palestine, a volunteer for Lee Memorial Hospital and a member of the Wellness Center of Lee Memorial Hospital.  He was listed in the Outstanding Young Men of America in 1966.

He is survived by his wife, Sue Westerman of Fort Myers; son, Eric Westerman of Little Rock, AR; and daughters, Claudia Seay of Little Rock, AR. and Suzanne Kemplin of Melbourn, KY.

He was preceded in death by a son, Clay Westerman.