Jonathan Ray Bickel 1 2
- Born: 1 Dec 1922, Myerstown, Lebanon, PA 1
- Marriage (1): Lucy Mae Bamberger
- Died: 13 Dec 2019 at age 97 1
- Buried: Millardsville: Trinity Tulpehocken United Church of Christ, Lebanon, PA, USA 1
FamilySearch ID: GJF3-K4Q.
Noted events in his life were:
1. Obituary: Lebanon Daily News: obituary of Jonathan Ray Bickel on 14 Dec 2019 in Lebanon, Lebanon, PA. 3 Richland - Jonathan Ray Bickel, husband of the late Lucy B. Bickel was born on December 1, 1922 in Myerstown. He was the son of the late Jonathan and Sadie Seibert Bickel. He graduated from Bethel High School, attended Ursinus College and graduated from Penn State University in 1947 with a B.S. Degree in Dairy Science and a Master's Equivalency in Education.
In November of 1942, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps as an Aviation Cadet. He took flying lessons at the Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He next attended the Air Navigation School in San Marcos, Texas and graduated as a Navigator 2nd Lt. on Feb 26, 1944. He was assigned to the 2nd Air Division, 467th Bomb Group, 790th Squadron in Rackheath, England. He completed flying 35 missions in B-24 type air craft over Europe on Nov 27, 1944. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters and the European Theatre Medal with three Battle Stars. He was transferred to Air Transport Command and helped to bring home B-24s from England. He retired from the Air Force Reserve in 1972 with the rank of Lt. Colonel.
He was a member of the Tulpehocken U.C.C. where he served as a Sunday School Superintendent, President, and teacher for many years. He also served as a deacon, elder and trustee on the church council.
After Penn State, he taught Veterans on the Farm training at Shoemakersville and Wilson High School. He went back to Penn State to get his teaching certificate in Agricultural Education and a Masters Equivalency. He student taught under master teacher Harvey A Smith at Schaefferstown High School where he met his future wife, Home Economics teacher Lucy Mae Bamberger. Henry Wenger at Northern Lebanon hired him to be the Ag teacher at Fredericksburg. He became the Ag teacher at the new Northern Lebanon High School in 1959.
As the adviser to the FFA, he conducted many trips to the National FFA Convention in Kansas City and received an Honorary American Farmer Degree. He took students to two World's Fairs - New York and Montreal, Disney World, camping and water skiing at the Auburn Boat Club, the beach and various other places. He received honorary memberships in the Northern Lebanon, Lebanon County, and State FFA Chapters.
He liked to travel and visited more than 30 foreign countries. His favorite was Kenya where he enjoyed the wildlife safari. He enjoyed seeing the giraffes, elephants, leopards, lions, and hippopotamuses in their natural habitat. He also visited Egypt, Australia and took cruises on the Norway, QE2, and Queen Mary 2. He traveled throughout the United States and enjoyed visiting Uncle Harry in South Dakota and Aunt Mabel and Sam Hibshman in Los Angeles, CA.
He also enjoyed boating, jet skiing, snowmobiling and motorcycle riding. He had an orchard where he grew peaches, apples, plums, cherries and apricots.
He was a member of the following organizations: 2nd Air Division Association; 467th Bomb Group Association; Auburn Boat Club; and national, state and local chapters of the Association of School Retirees. He was also a member of the local, state, and National Young Farmers Association, the Pa Vocational Ag Teachers, Lebanon County Educational Honor Society and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
He is survived by a son Jonathan, daughter-in-law Maria, granddaughter Lucy Marie and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, December 19, 2019 at 11 a.m. at Tulpehocken U.C.C., 961 Tulpehocken Rd., Richland. A viewing will be held Wednesday, December 18, 2019 from 7- 9 p.m. at the church, and Thursday from 10 a.m. until the time of the service. Interment with military honors will be at the adjoining church cemetery. Grose Funeral Home, Myerstown, has been entrusted with the arrangements.
Jonathan married Lucy Mae Bamberger, daughter of Allen Raymond Bamberger and Edna May Bicher. (Lucy Mae Bamberger was born on 3 Sep 1932 in , Lebanon, PA,4 died on 14 Nov 1986 4 and was buried in Millardsville: Trinity Tulpehocken United Church of Christ, Lebanon, PA, USA 4.)
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