Donald Houston Bethel was born November 12, 1919, in Ozark, Illinois, in Johnson County, the son of Jewell Guy Bethel Sr. (1896-1970) and Elma Mae Houston (1900-1991).
Although his obituary states that he was born in Ozark, Illinois only one month after his birth he and his parents were listed in the 1920 census as living at Harrisburg in Saline County.
By the 1930 census, at the start of the depression, his father Jewell moved the entire family to live in Hammond, Indiana and worked at the steel mills as a laborer with his brother Eugene. At this point, Jewell, his wife, five children, his brother and one boarder were occupying the home. Donald was only five years old during this census.
Times must have been hard for the Bethel family during the 1930’s because the 1940 census accounts for the location of family members in the year 1935 as well as 1940. In that year, father, Jewell, and his mother Mollie and daughter Mary Lou Bethel were living in McCormick, Illinois in Pope County. Mollie was a seamstress in a sewing room operated under the W.P.A. Donald’s mother, Elma, was living in Lick Creek in Union County. Donald was living in Ozark. Brother Jewell Jr. was living in Whiteash in this county and his brother, Bill, was still living in Hammond, Indiana.
In 1939 Don graduated from Marion High School and was licensed to preach in the same year. He was ordained to the gospel ministry in 1942.
In the 1940 census, things had come back together for the family and they occupied a family home at 409 W. Union which they owned, not far from the Washington School where father, Jewell, worked as the school janitor. Donald was 20 during this census and listed no occupation but was likely attending school. His grandmother Mollie was living with the family.
Donald waived his exempt draft status as a minister and enlisted on February 26, 1943 to serve in World War II as a paratrooper. Donald trained at Camp Mackall in North Carolina and was promoted to Corporal. When his brother Jewell Bethel Jr. was killed in Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge in January of 1945, Donald was in the Philippines. When Don wrote a letter home, in the same month, to his parents, he indicated that he had only been able to eat one day of rations in six days. He had been serving as Chaplin to his comrades and performing burial rites in the absence of the company Chaplin.
In June of 1945 he was made the assistant Chaplin for the 511th Airborne Division. Donald was released from active service on January 11, 1946 at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri.
He earned several medals, including the Bronze Star, while in New Guinea, Luzon, Japan, and the Philippines. Don was involved in the “Las Banos” raid that freed 2,147 civilians from twenty miles behind enemy lines.
When his brother, Jewell’s body was returned from Europe for re-burial in November of 1947, Donald was attending a Baptist Theological School in New Orleans, La.
Don was united in marriage to Sarah Ellen Bowling, October 7, 1948, in New Orleans, La. and together shared over 61 years of marriage.
Don also attended Southern Illinois University, and Ft. Worth Baptist Theological Seminary and graduated in 1952 from Wayland Baptist College in Plainview, Texas.
Between 1955 and 1965, Donald and Sarah bought a home located at 524 E. Thorn Street.
During Mr. Bethel’s years of an educators career, he was principal at Grant School, a one room school house, Cambria and Paulton before teaching for thirty years at Crab Orchard High School.
For most of his life, Rev. Bethel was a bi-vocational pastor at several area churches, including Hafer, Springhill, Cana (1970’s), Lake Creek and Williams Prairie Baptist Church (1980’s).
Tragedy fell upon the family in October 1982 when the couple’s sons, Robert and Stephen Bethel came up missing. Their bodies were eventually found in a local strip pit and the loss was felt by the entire community.
Between 1985 and 1990, Donald retired from pastoring well into his 80’s.
He spent many hours volunteering at Marion Memorial Hospital and Heartland regional Medical Center. In 1997 and Sarah both received the “Community Service Recognition Award” from Modern Woodmen of America and the “Lifetime Award for Volunteer Service” from Heartland Regional Medical Center.
Other memberships include Heyde-Pillow V.F.W. Post 1301, American Legion Post 147 and Williamson County Baptist Board.
Donald Houston Bethel passed away at 5:50 a.m. Monday, February 1, 2010, in Heartland Regional Medical Center of Marion at the age of 90.
He was survived by his wife, Sarah Ellen Bethel of Marion; daughter and son-in-law, Carolyn Jo “Jodi” and Dennis Sneer of Clarksville, Tenn.; three sons and daughters-in-law, Rev. William Jewel “Bill” and Leah Bethel of Raymondville, Tex., Lester James and Kathy Bethel of Marion, Rev. David John and Carol J. Bethel of Indianapolis, Ind.; foster son, Rev. James Henry and Catherine Wright, of Paducah, Ky.; 17 grandchildren; 16 great grandchildren; sister, Mary Lou Roberts of Marion; two sisters-in-law, Mary Wylie of Canyon, Tex. and Margaret Colson of Dumas, Tex.; a host of other extended family members and many friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two sons, Robert Justin Bethel and Stephen Jeffrey Bethel on Oct. 31, 1982; two brothers, Jewell Guy Bethel, Jr. who was killed in the “Battle of the Bulge” and William Gordon Bethel, died in Feb. 1995, and a sister, Thelma Juanita Addison.
Arrangements for Donald H. Bethel were entrusted to the Wilson-McReynolds Funeral Home, 900 N. Court Street, of Marion. The funeral service was held at 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010, at the First Baptist Church, 401 W. Union St., Marion, with Dr. Bob Dickerson and Rev. Brian Summers presiding. Interment followed in Rose Hill Cemetery of Marion. Military honors were accorded at the graveside by members of the Heyde-Pillow V.F.W. Post No. 1301, American Legion Post No. 147 and the Illinois National Guard.
(Data extracted from Marion Daily Republican Obituary; Federal Census Records; Social Security Death Records; VA BIRLS Records; Marion City Directories; compiled by Sam Lattuca on 08/27/2013)