Nellis VerHey

WW II Hero, Red Devil Paratrooper, Nellis Dan VerHey, passed away at age 93. Dan was born on March 11, 1925, to his parents, Raymond and Marianne VerHey. He had four siblings, Nancy Dodd, Richard "Dick" VerHey, Marilyn Matthews and Roger VerHey. He was married to Florine Butler from Ensley Center, MI. Florine passed away in 2012; they had been married 65 years. They had 5 children, Sandy (Larry) Logsdon of Jenison, MI; Tom (Ruth) VerHey, of Farmington, New Hampshire; Judy (Floyd) Holmes, of Battle Creek, MI; Dan (Jean) VerHey of Baytown, TX; Raymond (Rosie) VerHey, of Tyler, TX; They had 12 grandchildren; 16 great grandchildren and 1 great, great granddaughter. At age of 18 Dan joined the Army. He served in WWII with the 508 Parachute infantry, 82nd Division (aka The Red Devils), and was one of the few Pathfinders in the war. He served in Normandy, Ardennes, Rhineland, Central Europe, Holland and France. Dan received a Purple Heart with Oak Leaf cluster, Bronze Star and many additional metals for his service. He worked for Grand Trunk Railroad until he retired. Florine and Dan moved to Corpus Christi, TX in 1974 with their 2 sons, Dan and Ray. In December 2016 he moved back to Michigan where he lived the reminder of his years in a Veteran's Care Facility. Dan loved to hunt, fish, golf, go mushroom hunting, playing cards and exploring new places. He was a member of DAV in Michigan, Chapter 7 for 20 years. He also continued with the DAV in Corpus Christi, Chapter 12 for more than 20 years. Dan's wishes were to be cremated. A memorial service for family and friends will be held at a later date. Donations, in his memory, can be sent to Wounded Warriors or Disabled American Veterans. To share a photo, memory and sign the family's online guestbook please visit www.stegengafuneralchapel.com To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Nellis "Dan" VerHey please visit our Sympathy Store.