Ralph D. Wingard Sr. 76, of Carmichaels (Paisley), died Tuesday, January 27, 1998, at home. Mr. Wingard was a member of Masontown Mennonite Church and was employed as a coal miner for U.S. Steel Corp. for 43 years, retiring from Robena Mine. He was a member of UMWA District 2 and Robena Local 6321. He was a decorated World War II veteran serving as a U.S. Army corporal in Gen.George Patton's Tank Battalion. He received three Purple Hearts and the Silver Star and was a survivor of the Baton Death March. He was also a member of the Carmichaels American Legion Post 400, the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 58 of Hopwood and the Veteran of Foreign Wars of Carmichaels. Surviving are his wife, Lois Amber Baker Wingard; two sons, Ralph D. Wingard Jr. of Dry Tavern and Eric D. Wingard of North Hills; five stepchildren, Kenneth Jordan of Ohio, Patricia Gibson of Masontown, Raymond Edward Jordan of Uniontown, Tammy Kirkwood of Allison, and Sandy Ritchie of Uniontown; three grandchildren, Thomas, Kristan and Gary Wingard; two stepgrandchildren, Kelly Shepherd and Joseph Brown; a great-stepgrandson; four sisters, Elizabeth Kirkpatrick, Martha Markovich and Katherine Watson, all of Uniontown and Carrie Chalfant of Footdale; and three brothers, Donald L. Wingard of Uniontown, Robert Wingard of Phillips and Hobart Wingard Sunset City West, Ariz. Deceased are his first wife, Loretta Genoff Wingard, who died in 1994; a son, Garrett Hobart, who died in 1981; and a brother, Samuel Wingard. Copyright ©1998 Observer Publishing Co.Last updated Wednesday, January 28, 1998Ralph D. Wingard Sr.
Decorated veteran retired from Robena Mine
He was born March 11, 1921, in Moyer, a son of Garrett and Mary Elizabeth Bush Wingard.