August 2010

Marion “Curly” Havelaar
Marion “Curly” Havelaar, 86, LTC, U.S.A.F. Retired of Arlington, TX, passed away peacefully Monday, July 26, 2010 at home after a long battle with cancer. Marion’s remains will be interred privately by his close family.
Marion was born July 29, 1923 on a rural farm near Inwood, IA, the second son of an immigrant family, Dick and Gertrude Havelaar, who farmed in western Iowa and southeastern South Dakota.
Marion and Patsy were married 66 years ago in Ardmore, OK, while Marion was in training before being deployed to fly combat missions for the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He served with the U.S. Air Force during the Korean Conflict and during the Vietnam War. He served his country for 29 years before retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1971.
After retiring, he and Patsy moved to Rapid City where he resided and pursued his hobby and lifelong passion of restoring and flying antique airplanes. He was known internationally as “the expert” authority for the history and restoration of Antique Waco Airplanes.
Marion also flew his historic, award-winning antique Waco biplane in celebration of the South Dakota Centennial by replicating a historic statewide airmail flight culminating in a flyover of Mount Rushmore during the inauguration of Mount Rushmore by President George Bush.
Marion is also remembered as a combat veteran, author, historian and expert on the famous U.S. Army Air Corps, 91^st Bomb Group, which gained fame during WWII and includes such famous airplanes as the Memphis Belle and Shoo Shoo Baby.
He authored “The Ragged Irregulars of Bassingbourn”, a history of the 91^st Bomb Group, touted as the “best unit history” written about a WWII air combat unit.
Marion is survived by his wife, Patsy Ruth Havelaar, Arlington; two sons, Thomas and Carol Havelaar of South Sioux City, NE, and Ronald and Marylou Havelaar of Arlington; five granddaughters; four great-grandchildren; two brothers, Cornelius Havelaar of Canton and Gerrit Havelaar of Hudson; and four sisters, Rose Hawkins of Rapid City, Grace Brevik of Buffalo, MN, June Carlson of Omaha, NE, and Bernice Duncan of Sioux Falls.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to your local humane society or to Community Hospice of Texas, 1600 Western Place, Suite 500, Fort Worth, TX 76107..