Elmer J. Silvia Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Elmer J. Silvia 1919-2017 Elmer J. Silvia, 97, of Pittsburg, Kansas died Saturday, March 11, 2017 at Via Christi Village. He was born on December 7, 1919, son of John Silvia and Ann Silvia (Stockinger). Celebrating his birthday at dinner with his parents in 1941, news of the bombing of Pearl Harbor came over the radio. The dye was cast at that moment for Elmer’s involvement in World War II, an involvement he would never forget during his 74 years of continuous membership in the VFW and the American Legion. Elmer embarked on his military assignment from Ellis Island, the same place where his German-born immigrant mother had entered the United States 35 years earlier as an 11-year old girl. El filled out his passport and boarded the ship on his way to fight the now German enemy overseas. His unit, the 697th Engineers, served in Northern Africa under three different Allied Armies: Patton’s 5th Army, the US 7th Army and the English 8th Army. The assignment of designing and laying the fuel lines to keep the Allied troops and tanks moving during the invasion took Elmer north through Sicily, Naples, Southern France to cheering French citizens and on to the German border. On a short military leave in 1942, Emily married Beverly Ziehlke in Pittsburg, Kansas on August 28th. After the war, the couple had a son, John C. Silvia, and moved through towns in Kansas and Missouri following Elmer’s career in education. He earned a BS in Industrial Arts and an MA in School Administration from Pittsburg State Teacher’s College (as Pittsburg State University was then called.) His administrative career culminated in Osceola, Missouri where he spent 13 years as Superintendent of Schools before his retirement in 1980. After 35 years of marriage, he lost his wife Beverly to a brain tumor on September 5, 1977. Elmer would often say that he was twice blessed to have been married to two wonderful wives. In 1981 he and Daphine Berry (Shoup) were married in Pittsburg, Kansas. During their 32-year marriage, Elmer and Daphine enjoyed traveling in their retirement to US cities such as New York, Dallas, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Niagara Falls, Las Vegas, Mackinac Island, Monterrey, Salt Lake City and the states of Hawaii, Florida, Wisconsin, Indiana and New Jersey. He went to his yearly military reunions of the #697 unit in St. Louis, Atlanta, Nashville, and Louisville. His love of fishing took him many times to the Canadian wilds, Mexico and to Colorado. He was fond of saying, “There were very few places we didn’t go. Making memories is important.” Daphine passed away in 2013. In addition to traveling, Elmer enjoyed cooking and was famous for his roasted pecans, chili, homemade breadsticks and almond toffee. His vegetable gardens were legendary—growing unusual varieties of tomatoes, zucchini and burpless cucumbers. He loved playing poker and golf and listening to his favorite football teams, the PSU Gorillas and the KC Chiefs. Throughout his life, Elmer served his country and his communities. He was a past president of the Rotarians and county chairman of the American Cancer Society both of Osceola, and an active member of the Lions Club, Optimists, Kiwanis, the American Cross Volunteers, Sunset Manor Volunteers. He felt his most important volunteer job was working for a Hospice group in Southeast Kansas for 10 years. Elmer was preceded in death by his two wives, his parents and two sisters, Marie Davis (Silvia) and Sylvia Spruk (Silvia) and a nephew Don Davis. His survivors include his son, John Silvia of Philadelphia, his cousin, Niles Stockinger of Arma, his brother-in-law, George Spruk of Pittsburg, and his five nieces: Debby Carpenter (Spruk) of St. Louis, Nancy Radell (Spruk) of Pittsburg, Karen Lynne (Davis) of Kingman, Arizona, Cheryl Lee (Davis) of Smithville, Missouri, and Marian Davis of Grain Valley, Missouri and his nephew, Dan Spruk of Pittsburg. Funeral Services will be 1:00pm Wednesday March 15, 2017 at the Bath-Naylor Funeral Home in Pittsburg, KS with Pastor Mark Chambers officiating. Burial will follow at the Mt. Olive Cemetery in Pittsburg, KS. Informal visitation will be from 12:00-8:00pm Tuesday March 14, 2017 at the Bath-Naylor Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers the family asks expressions of sympathy to be in the form of memorials to the Avenue of Flags. Friends may drop off or mail memorials to the Bath-Naylor Funeral Home 522 S. Broadway Pittsburg, KS 66762. E-mail condolences may be left at www.bathnaylor.com. Arrangements and services are under the direction of Bath-Naylor Funeral Home of Pittsburg, KS.

Elmer J. Silvia

December 7, 1919 - March 11, 2017