He served on Guadalcanal, New
Caledonia, New Guinea, Russell Islands and Luzon in the Philippine Islands. He received
the Asiatic-Pacific Service Medal. Bronze Star, five Battle Stars, Distinguished Unit Citation,
and the Bronze Service Arrowhead Pacific Theater Medal.
He served his entire tour of duty
with Company A, 169th infantry, 43rd Division. Lester received his honorable discharge
October 17, 1945.
Following service, Lester started farming near Manilla and remained there until retiring in the spring of 1981. He married the former Betty Holdsworth and they are the parents of three children, Kevin and Keith of Manilla, and Kristie, Mrs. Tom Jacobson, of Manning.
Lester is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred A. Boyens, who were residents of Aspinwall from 1934 to 1943
Manning Monitor articles ------ 1944
From Southwest Pacific
In September he was
transferred to Fort Ord, Calf., from where he embarked for service overseas. He landed
with his Company at New Zealand in November. Since that time he has been in action at
New Caledonia, Guadalcanal, Russell Island, Randova, and New Georgia, seeing front line
action in a number of these engagements and was among the first allied troops landed at
Munda.
Dear Brother and Sister:
There are many folks back home who have sons fighting on many fronts.
Then there are people who have no loved ones in the Service.
I have sat in my fox-hole praying for the let up of bursting shells buddies lie wounded,
helpless and out of reach at the time for the needed medical care. We didn't think of our
monthly pay but instead endangered our lives, so that others may live. We did not lay
down our arms and say give me five cents an hour more or we won't produce. No, our
minds were set to give what we had not expecting returns, that in the end our contribution
will be rewarded, much more superior than our paymaster. |
In Loving Memory
LESTER, L. BOYENS
Service THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2003, 2:00 PM
TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH
MANILLA, IOWA
Officiating PASTOR MARK MUELLER
Congregational Hymns "ABIDE WITH ME" "A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD" "AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL"
BONNIE LORENZEN, ORGANIST
Interment with Military Honors NISHNABOTNA CEMETERY MANILLA, IOWA
AMERICAN LEGION POST 132
Casketbearers RONALD OLSON, JAMES OLSON, DON HOLDSWORTH, VERDELL MUNDT, DAVID HOLDSWORTH, HARRY MUNDT, RUSSELL RANNIGER
Honorary Casketbearers JOHN JACOBSON, LAURA JACOBSON, WIL BOYENS, HANNAH BOYENS
THE FAMILY WISHES TO EXPRESS THEIR GRATITUDE FOR YOUR KINDNESS EVIDENCED IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED, AND INVITES YOU TO JOIN THEM FOR LUNCH AND FELLOWSHIP AT THE CHURCH FOLLOWING THE COMMITTAL SERVICE.
DRIVERS IN A FUNERAL PROCESSION MUST TURN ON VEHICLE HEADLIGHTS, DRIVE IN A CLOSE FORMATION AND BE ALERT.
Lester Lorenz, son of Fred and Hannah (Lorenzen) Boyens, was born March 25, 1916, north of Aspinwall, Iowa. He lived in the Aspinwall area until his family moved to the Irwin area where he attended rural school. Lester attended Irwin High School until he started working on the farm with his father.
Lester served in the United States Army during World War II in the Pacific Theater. In 1947, to raise money for a down payment on a farm, he returned to Guam as an employee of the Brown, Pacific & Maxon Construction Co., helping to build a harbor to accommodate large Naval vessels.
Lester was united in marriage with Leona Stehr and two sons Loren and Steve were born to this union. They lived on the Boyens family farm north of Manilla.
On September 18, 1954, Lester was united in marriage with Betty Holdsworth at Trinity Lutheran Church in Manilla. Three children were born to this union. The family lived north of Manilla on the farm Lester rented and then purchased from his father in the early 1960s. Even though they moved into town in 1977, he actively farmed for over 30 years, retiring in 1984. His wife Betty died in November of 1983.
Lester was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Manilla and a lifetime member of American Legion Post 132 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3517. He was an active member of the National Farmers Organization and recently joined the 43rd Infantry Division Veterans' Association. He enjoyed visiting with his family and looking after his sister Gladys.
After breaking his hip, Lester was hospitalized in Manning and Council Bluffs before his death at Mercy Hospital, Council Bluffs, on October 20, 2003, at the age of 87 years, 6 months and 25 days.
Preceding him in death are his parents, wives, brothers Alvin Boyens as a child and LaVerne Boyens and sister Delpha Olson.
He is survived by his five children: Kevin Boyens and wife Janet of Spencer; Kristie and husband Thomas Jacobson of Rochester, MN; Keith Boyens of Manilla; Loren Boyens and wife Sheila of Sioux Falls, SD; and Steve Boyens and wife Cher of Story City, IA; 11 grandchildren; 7 great-grandchildren; sister Gladys Boyens of Manilla Manor Nursing Home; sisters-in-law Darlene Boyens of Kiron; Virginia Mundt of Manilla; and Opal Holdsworth of Denison; brother-in-law Vernon Holdsworth and wife Della of Harlan; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Lester Boyens was inducted into the United States Army at Fort Des Moines on May 19, 1942. After basic training at Camp Shelby, MS, he received advanced training at Fort Ord, CA. On October 1, 1942, Lester was shipped overseas to the Pacific Theater during world war II. He saw action on Guadalcanal, New Caledonia, New Guinea, the Russell Islands and Luzon, Philippines. He served his entire tour of military duty with company A, 169th Infantry Regiment 43rd Division. He received the Asiatic-Pacific is Service medal, Bronze Star; five Battle Stars, Distinguished unit citation and Bronze Service Arrowhead Pacific Theater Medal. He was also awarded the following medals from the government of the Philippines in 1998: Philippine Liberation Medal, Philippine Republic Presidential unit citation Badge, Asiatic Pacific campaign Medal and WWII victory medal. After his honorable discharge on October 17, 1946, he returned to Denison.