Lauten

Kernersville – Mr. Noah Delbert Lauten, Sr., 96, passed away August 6, 2018 at the Liberty Lane Hospice Home in Salisbury, NC. Mr. Lauten was born April 14, 1922 to Ida Welch Lauten and Willie Reid Lauten. Mr. Lauten lived the greatest portion of his life on the original family farm. He seemed to enjoy working in the “dirt” and loved to see things grow. All his life, Mr. Lauten had a knack for fixing things. His life on the family farm afforded him exposure to a myriad of farm tools on which to work as a boy. He was more formally trained by the Army as a mechanic soon after his enlistment and put that talent and training to work for 38 years at S & R Motor Company in Kernersville, retiring from that same Chrysler dealership as the shop foreman in July 1987. Our father lived at a time where everyone in Kernersville knew almost everyone else and most folks called him “Dewberry”, a nickname he acquired as a young boy who liked to climb up those type of berry trees and eat the fruit. He was one of the longest living founding members of Union Cross Baptist Church and served in numerous capacities at the church until his health would not permit. Mr. Lauten enlisted in the U.S. Army in July 1940 and was honorably discharged in April 1945 with the rank of E-8. While training in England, Mr. Lauten secured additional “work” by testing parachutes for the Air Force and made over 600 jumps to perfect a parachute system for pilots of a certain type of plane. He was ultimately promoted to First Sergeant of the headquarters company, 377th Parachute Field Artillery, 101st Airborne Division and as such, was a member of the D-Day invasion forces, 6 June 1944. He suffered an initial wound in his left knee on the second day of the invasion. He lost 153 men in his company alone on D-Day and 22 days of subsequent fighting to get back to the Allied lines in France. Out of 305 men in his company, only 29 would ultimately make it back to the United States. After a minimal recovery in Edinburgh, Scotland, he was returned to active duty and jumped for the second time, 17 September 1944, in Operation Market Garden, in Holland. Somewhere outside Nijmegen, Holland on 21 October 1944, he was blown through a wall, the result of the concussion from an M-80 rocket that exploded near him. Another 10 or 12 of his men died that day. He woke up in Denver, CO in April 1945, not knowing how he got there. Throughout his life, he had not pursued commendations that had been awarded by the Army. However, Mr. Lauten was a decorated WWII Veteran and shortly after his 89thbirthday, Senator Richard Burr saw to it that he was awarded a series of medals and ribbons he earned, including a purple heart with oak leaf cluster, two bronze stars, distinguished unit citation, along with numerous other theater and unit Presidential citations. He was predeceased by his mother, father and a brother, Vernon Lauten; along with numerous cousins, uncles, aunts and old Army buddies that he managed to keep in touch with throughout the years. He was also preceded in death by his loving wife, Willie Frances Seal Lauten in May 1996. Mr. Lauten is survived by two sons, Noah Delbert Lauten, Jr. (Becky) and Michael Noble Lauten (Sunni); three grandsons, Darren Lauten (Jessica), Daniel P. Lauten, and Russell T. Lauten (Amy); one granddaughter, Angela Lauten Page (Nate); two great-grandsons, Alex Southwick and Nate Lauten; two great-granddaughters, Katie Southwick, and Brenna Lauten; bonus grandchildren, Bo Poske (Megan), Tripp Poske, and Maggie Poske; three sisters, Velma Lauten Matthews, Hallene Lauten Brindle and Shirley M. Lauten; along with numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family friend, Gayle Wimbrow. The family will receive friends Thursday, August 9, 2018 at Union Cross Baptist Church from 10:00 – 10:45 a.m. prior to an 11:00 a.m. Celebration of Life service that will be conducted by Dr. Kent Kern and Dr. Steve Ayers. Interment to follow at Oaklawn Memorial Gardens. Flowers will be accepted, but our father requested that memorials be made to Union Cross Baptist Church- Building Fund, 4350 High Point Rd, Kernersville, NC 27284; KBR Hospice and Palliative Care, 101 Hospice Ln, Winston-Salem, NC 27103; Liberty Lane Hospice, 1601 Brenner Ave, Salisbury, NC 28144; or the charity of donor’s choice. Hayworth Miller Kernersville Chapel is assisting the family. Online condolences may be made at www.hayworth-miller.com.