A graveside service was held Tuesday afternoon Lakewood Memorial Park in Hughson for Norman Harold "Doc" Watson, 89, of Stockton. The former Ceres resident died Oct. 1, 2008 in Stockton.
The Colonial Chapel of Franklin and Downs was in charge of arrangements.
Born March 3, 1919 Doc was born in Hinton, Okla., and lived in Ceres from 1945 to 2005 when they moved to Stockton. He served in the Army Air Corps from 1938 to 1945 and was based at Hickam Field in Hawaii and survived the attack on Pearl Harbor. He served as a radio operator and ball turret gunner on a B-17. He saw action at Guadalcanal and the Battle of Midway. Mr. Watson flew 382 missions serving over 800 combat hours. He returned stateside in 1943 to Topeka, Kan., where he met and then married Emily McSherry on April 2, 1945.
Mr. Watson owned and operated a home appliance repair business in Modesto for many years, retiring in 1982. He was a member of the SOS Club and of the Ceres Veterans of Foreign Wars.
He leaves behind his nine children, Kitty Bussey of Atlanta, Jeanne Malone of Tucson, Nancy Phipps and Laurie Rhea, both of Stockton, Kerry Watson of Modesto, Michael Watson and Stephen Watson, both of Cottage Springs, Ore., and Ned Watson and Brendan Watson, both of Modesto; his brothers, Clessie "Ted" Watson of Stockton, Paul Watson and Sam Watson, both of Oklahoma; his sister, Margaret Lou Baldwin of Southern California; and 15 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his wife and brothers.
-Ceres (Calif.) Courier /October 8, 2008
The Colonial Chapel of Franklin and Downs was in charge of arrangements.
Born March 3, 1919 Doc was born in Hinton, Okla., and lived in Ceres from 1945 to 2005 when they moved to Stockton. He served in the Army Air Corps from 1938 to 1945 and was based at Hickam Field in Hawaii and survived the attack on Pearl Harbor. He served as a radio operator and ball turret gunner on a B-17. He saw action at Guadalcanal and the Battle of Midway. Mr. Watson flew 382 missions serving over 800 combat hours. He returned stateside in 1943 to Topeka, Kan., where he met and then married Emily McSherry on April 2, 1945.
Mr. Watson owned and operated a home appliance repair business in Modesto for many years, retiring in 1982. He was a member of the SOS Club and of the Ceres Veterans of Foreign Wars.
He leaves behind his nine children, Kitty Bussey of Atlanta, Jeanne Malone of Tucson, Nancy Phipps and Laurie Rhea, both of Stockton, Kerry Watson of Modesto, Michael Watson and Stephen Watson, both of Cottage Springs, Ore., and Ned Watson and Brendan Watson, both of Modesto; his brothers, Clessie "Ted" Watson of Stockton, Paul Watson and Sam Watson, both of Oklahoma; his sister, Margaret Lou Baldwin of Southern California; and 15 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his wife and brothers.
-Ceres (Calif.) Courier /October 8, 2008
