Raymond Poulson Dies At Age 60

Funeral services for 60 year old Raymond Soren Poulson of Skokie, Illinois, formerly of Blair and Orum area, who passed away at St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, Illinois, Monday evening, July 23rd. were held Saturday afternoon July 28th at 2:00 p.m. at the First Lutheran Church in Blair.

Pastors John Petersen and Kurt Sortland officiated, with Campbell Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Burial was in the Orum Cemetery, with military rites conducted by Veterans of Foreign Wars of Blair.

Raymond Poulson was born on a farm northwest of Blair to Niels and Ella Poulson. He grew to manhood in the Orum area, where as a young man he farmed until March 21, 1941 when he joined the U.S. Marine Corps and made this his career until his retirement in March 1971. He was attached to the 1st Marine Air Wing. During his 30 years of service he saw action and over-seas duty in 3 wars, the South Pacific and European Theatre during World War II, Korea in the Korean War and 3 years in Viet Nam during the Viet Nam War.

In 1948 he was seriously injured in a plane crash in China while assigned to the U.S. Embassy.

During his years of service he received many medals, among them the Presidential Citation.

On February 24, 1959, he was united in marriage to Neva LaVeua at Havelock, North Carolina.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Niels and Ella Poulson and two brothers Chris Poulson and Russell Poulson.

He is survived by his wife, Neva, three stepchildren, John Byiski and Michelle LaVeau of Skokie, Illinois and Christine McBride of Madison, Wisconsin, 3 grandchildren, Scott, Jean and Patrick McBride, two brothers, Niels Poulson and Donald Poulson, one sister, Lucille Poulson, one sister-in-law, Wanda Poulson of Blair, one niece Sally Baertchi of Galesburg, Illinois and one nephew Gary Poulson of Sac City, Iowa, and other relatives.

He was a member of the Veteran of Foreign Wars, American Legion and Retired Marines Ass’n.

Pallbearers were George Good, Carl Poulson, Harold Ryan, Everett Stork, Myron Ward and Lyle Wilcox.

Enterprise 26 Jul 1979

Services To Be Held Saturday For Raymond Paulson* Raymond Soren Paulson*, 60, of Skokie, Illinois, formerly of the Blair and Orum area, passed away at St. Francis Hospital, Evansville, Illinois, Monday evening, July 23.

He is survived by his wife, Neva; three step-children, Christine McBride of Wisconsin, Michelle LaVern and John Bylski, of Skokie, Illinois; two brothers, Niels and Donald Paulson*; one sister, Lucille Poulson, one sister-in-law, Wanda Poulson of Blair; one niece, Sally Baertshi of Galesburg, Illinois; and one nephew, Gary Poulson of Sac City, Iowa.

He was retired, after serving 30 years in the Marine Corps.

Funeral services will be Saturday afternoon, July 28, at 2:00 p.m. from First Lutheran Church, Blair. Burial will be in Orum Cemetery.

Pilot Tribune Thursday, 16 Oct 1947

Crash Hurts Blair Boy in China

Poulson Badly Injured

Blair Marine Sergeant Victim of Plane Crash at Chanchun, China

In Serious Condition, Family Is Informed

Master Sgt. Raymond Poulson, 29, son of Mrs. Edla Poulson of Blair, was seriously injured Monday when the Marine corps plane in which he was a passenger crashed at Chanchun, Manchuria, China.

According to information received here by his mother, the Blair youth suffered a severe back injury. Attended by a native Chinese doctor, young Poulson was to be flown out Tuesday and taken to a U.S. hospital ship at Tsingtao.

Sgt. Poulson, six and a half years in the Marine Corps, has been stationed at Nanking in the office of the Naval Attache at the American Embassy. A plane crew chief, he had flown extensively throughout the Orient in recent years.

Sgt. Poulson’s brother, Chris, was killed in a plane crash in Colorado in August, 1943, while serving with the Army.

Sgt. Poulson has a sister here, Miss Lucille Poulson, deputy county clerk; and three brothers, Russell, Don and Nels, all of Blair.

*spelling should be Poulson

Note: Buried at Lincoln Lutheran Cemetery at Orum, Find a Grave #129693334 .

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~