Alvin “Buddy” Thomas Caspers passed away December 4, 2021, at the age of
101 years. Alvin was born on December 24, 1919, in Smith County, the
youngest child of Herman and Katherine (Tuxhorn) Caspers. He grew up on
the family farm in Smith County. Alvin married Trilla Louise
Kirkendall on August 2, 1942, at Germantown Church, north of Kensington.
Alvin was inducted into the Army August 12, 1942. He received his
basic training at Fort Riley, Kansas and was later stationed in Indiana
and Ohio. There he served in the Military Police (MP) and did a lot of
guard duty at bus and train stations. He boarded a ship in New Jersey
to go to the WW2 European theatre on March 31, 1944. He arrived at
Liverpool, England and then moved by train to South Hampton, just across
the English Channel from France.
Alvin landed at Omaha Beach in France on July 6, 1944, just 30 days
after D-Day. He went to many cities in France and traveled through
Luxemburg and Belgium. His unit had to retreat several miles during the
Battle of the Bulge. He lived in tents and slept on the snow in their
sleeping bags during the Battle of the Bulge. He spent Christmas, 1944
in Belgium. His travels also took him through Wiesbaden, Frankfort, and
Munich, all in Germany.
After the war had ended, Alvin came home and landed in New York
Harbor on December 10, 1945. He was honorably discharged from the army
on December 17, 1945 and returned home to Smith County. He returned with
4 bronze stars for participating in battles at Normandy, Northern
France, Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge), and the Rhineland in Germany.
He had been overseas for 22 months.
After the war, Alvin and wife Trilla purchased a farm in rural Smith
County and raised three sons. He retired and moved to an apartment in
Smith Center. Alvin then moved to Smith Center Health and Rehab Center
where he was a resident at the time of death.
Alvin was preceded in death by wife Trilla, sisters Ellen Rust,
Laura Holthus, and Elva Fiene, brother Lawrence Caspers, and
Granddaughter Letitia Raney.
Survivors include three sons, Gary and wife Sheila of Concordia,
Larry and wife Margie of Hays, Glenn and wife Eileen of Topeka; 5
Grandchildren and 10 Great Grandchildren.
Click HERE for service details.