John Marion Mounce II
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[John Marion Mounce II (Grandpa), 89, went to be with our Saviour, Jesus Christ, Friday, Nov. 13 at 9:30 p.m. in his home in Metropolis surrounded by his beloved family.
John and Rebecca (Emery) Mounce were married in November 1940 in Mayfield, Kentucky. John was the son of John and Ollie May (Carter) Mounce. He was born in Ozark, Illinois and raised in Massac Co.; the oldest of eight children. For 40 years he contracted maintenance with Standard Oil.
His greatest joy in life was his grandchildren. As a young man his hobbies included air shows in which he was a stuntman for the group Thrillmasters. He participated in wing walking and low altitude jumps. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and camping; accompanied most of the time by his grandchildren.
John enlisted in the Army in May of 1943 at Taccoa, Ga. He was a member of the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team, part of Company F, 2nd Battalion. He was in four battle campaigns, parachuted into the South of France, Italy, Belgium and Germany. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge and was awarded the Bronze Star. John was honorably discharged from the Army Nov. 7, 1945 with the rank of Corporal.
Preceeding him in death are his parents Ollie May Carter and John Marion Mounce, his beloved wife Rebecca of 40 years and daughter Rose Mary. He was also preceded in death by three brothers; Billy Joe, Sammy and Louie Mounce and four sisters; Ruth Burnett, Mary Taylor, Violet Rose and Relva May.
Surviving are his brother, Roy Mounce of Wakonda, Ill.; six sons: John Marion Mounce III of New Orleans, La, James and Margaret Mounce of Chicago, Ill., J.R. and Alesia Mounce of Pinckneyville, Ill., Jeffery Mounce of Florida, John and Kathleen Mounce, Joe and Sandra Mounce of Metropolis, Ill. Also surviving are three daughters; Jo Ann and Phillip Fischer of Du Quoin, Ill., Janice and Bob Chapman of Arkansas, Julie Earhart and special friend Michael Robinson of Metropolis, Ill. and 73 grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009 at the Aikins-Farmer Funeral Home in Metropolis. Rev. Russell Gilbert officiated. Burial followed in the Masonic Cemetery with military rites provided by the Metropolis American Legion and VFW.
Visitation was held on Monday evening, Nov. 16, 2009 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Aikins-Farmer Funeral Home in Metropolis.
Pallbearers were Joe Mounce, John Mounce, Bruce Fischer, Lance Benedict, Adam Mounce, and Cory Brown.