Beckham County, OK - Obits: Jack Franklin Bonifield, 2006
Friday, 29 June 2007
Submitted by: delma 25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)
 
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Obituary: The Elk City Daily News, Elk City, Beckham Co, Ok, 
20 Mar 2006: BONIFIELD, JACK FRANKLIN. 
Services for Jack Franklin Bonifield will be held Tuesday at 
3 p.m. at the Sayre First Baptist Church officiated by Danny 
Ringer.  Burial will be at Delhi Cemetery under the direction 
of Rose Chapel Funeral Service, Sayre. Jack Franklin Bonifield 
was born December 12, 1922, in Delhi to Annie Avo and Albert 
Frank Bonifield and died Thursday in Ponca City at the age of 
83.Jack graduated from Delhi School and enlisted in the United 
States Army Air Corps.  He was sent to Mountain Home, Idaho, 
and later Muroch, California, where they picked up their B-24 
Liberator Bomber.  They were a member of the 774th Squad of the 
456th Bomb Group.  They flew to South America and then to Africa 
before being stationed in Foggia, Italy.  Initialy they became 
part of "Colonel Steed and His Flying Colts".  On his 44th mission 
over Budapest, Hungary, on July 22, 1944, the crew was shotdown 
and Jack spent the next year as a POW in Hungary before being 
transferred to Stalag #1 near the Baltic Sea where they were 
liberated by the Russians on May 5, 1945.  Jack was awarded 
several medals for his service to his country that included 
the Purple Heart for wounds he received when he was shot down.  
After his return Jack attended the University of Oklahoma.  
He was married to Iva Claudine (Gipson) at Delhi on August 3, 
1946.Jack became a Mail Carrier for the United States Postal 
Service and worked for the next 30 years until his retirement 
in 1987.He was a member of the Sayre First Baptist Church.He was 
preceded in death by his parents, one son, Danny Bonifield; one 
sister Audrey Renfro; and one daughter in law, Pat Bonifield. 
Jack is survived by his wife Claudine; one daughter, Tammy York 
of Newkirk; two sons, Jackie Bonifield and wife Kim Sawyer of 
Ventura, California; Steve Bonifield and wife Diann of Ponca City; 
seven grandchildren and a host of other relatives and friends. 
Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Research.