George Cecil Berry

George Cecil Berry, 95, of Winterset, passed away October 30, 2020, at the Madison County Memorial Hospital in Winterset. George was born January 19, 1925, the son of Orra and Margaret Pearl Berry. He was a child of the Great Depression and never took a job lightly. He attended grade school at country schools until he went to high school in Winterset, graduating in 1942. After graduation, he worked in Nebraska as a carpenter until the weather forced the project to shut down. Upon returning to Madison County, he, like so many other young men, decided to enlist in the Army Air Corps, instead of being drafted. He trained as a waist gunner on a B17 Fortress and flew 35 bombing missions out of England to various points in Germany. He was the last surviving crew member of “The Dead Man’s Hand”. There is a commemorative plaque in the garden of the Museum of the Mighty Eighth in Georgia, listing the crew members and their positions. On June 29, 1947, he was united in marriage to Ethel Benge. To this union two children were born, Nancy and Bill. George was a VFW life member. He helped form the VFW Honor Guard and was one of the founders of the VFW Flags on Review display on Memorial Day. He was a charter member of the National WWII Museum and the Museum of the Mighty Eighth. He was a member of the 447th Bomb Group and was a member of the Eighth Air Force Historical Society. He is survived by his daughter, Nancy Wiemann; daughter-in-law, Sandy Sutherland Berry; sister, Alice Beardsley; grandchildren, Jeff, Greg and Ryan; great-grandchildren, Devin, Kris, Morgan (Garrett), Lacy, Caleb, Brenden, Jocelyn, and Masen; and a great great-grandchild on the way. He was preceded in death by his parents, Orra and Margaret; his wife, Ethel; son, Bill; a granddaughter, Jennifer Wiemann; son-in-law, Michael Wiemann; and brother-in-law, Wilber Beardsley. His many friends and extended family will cherish his memory always.