Dale Lavern "Squeek" Traylor, 96, of Litchfield, died on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019, at 4:45 p.m. with family at his side.
Visitation will be held at 11 a.m., until time of service, on Saturday, Jan. 11, at Plummer Funeral Home in Litchfield. Memorial services will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the funeral home. A luncheon and time of fellowship will be held at Litchfield Moose Lodge #1634, following the service. Plummer Funeral Home of Litchfield is assisting the family.
Mr. Traylor was born in Schram City, the second of six sons, to Samuel and Myrtle (Koonce) Traylor. He married Barbara Jean Hart on June 20, 1948, and she preceded him in death on May 4, 2019.
Following his graduation from Hillsboro High School and St. Louis Business College, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps in November 1942.
While serving with the 2nd Division, Mr. Traylor was stationed in the South Pacific during the battles of Tarawa and Saipan, where he was wounded in July 1944. After a lengthy recovery aboard the hospital ship, "Good Hope", and Hawaii, he returned to his orginial platoon. He continued service alongside his Menominee "blood brother", Hilary J. "Sparky" Waukau while shipboard during the invasion of Okinawa and the occupation of Japan in Nagasaki after the second atomic bomb. Waukau is responsible for saving his life in Saipan and their close friendship continued until his death in 1995.
An active member of the Litchfield community, he began working for Illinois Power as a local service lineman in 1947, retiring in 1985. He continued his career as the Emergency Services Director for Montgomery County from 1985 to 2000, when he finally hung up his keys.
Mr. Traylor was one of the first to fly solo from the new Litchfield Municipal Airport, was a member of the Litchfield Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years and served as a third ward alderman for several years.
He is survived by a daughter, Pamela (Gus) Skeadas of Springfield; son, Todd (Melissa Craig) Traylor of Hazelwood, MO; four grandchildren, Jason (Shari Schaefer) Rives, Jamie (Brad) Boatright, both of Carlyle, Jennifer (Michael) Weiss of Bella Vista, AZ, and Jillian (Tim) Ulrici of Coalton; one great-grandson, Jensen Dale Boatright of Carlyle; one brother, Gary (Jocelyn) Traylor of Springfield; and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Traylor was preceded in death by his parents; four brothers, Marvin Traylor, Murl Traylor in infancy, Earl Traylor who was a twin to Murl and Kenneth Traylor; Menominee Nation "blood brother" Hilary J. "Sparky" Waukau, Neopit, WI, in 1995.
Memorials may be directed to Mooseheart.
For more information, to light a candle or sign the online guestbook, please visit www.plummerfuneralservices.com.
