Proud Marine and Korean War Veteran, Michael H. “Mike” Deabenderfer lived a valiant, love-filled life through the day after Thanksgiving, when he finally succumbed to injuries from a fall and joined the love of his life, Verna in God’s peaceful embrace.
Born in Wyoming, his father’s professional wrestling career brought him to reside all over the nation, until he and his family settled in California. Mike was “gung-ho” from the get go and his exuberant spirit made him loveable yet incorrigible as a youth. The financial struggles of WWII had severely affected his family, so his mother sent him to live with his grandparents in Nebraska.
He was still a young adolescent. There he loved living the farm life, raising animals and driving tractors. After a couple years his exuberant spirit was too much for his older grandparents to manage anymore and was sent back home. After a short time he was sent to a Salesian boy’s school on the coast near Watsonville. His Catholicism ran deep, as he was an avid churchgoer and supporter through his final hours. He shared his love for God and accepted Jesus as his eternal savior.
As a teen, his liveliness caused him to throw live bullets into a fire, resulting in an explosion which nearly took out one eye. After a short stay in the hospital, he emerged with limited vision in that eye. He signed himself up while still under-age with an Army recruiter. After learning of this, his equally stubborn mother marched him to the office and demanded the Army discharge him for being under-age and having only sufficient vision in one eye. So he joined the Merchant Marines and went to Alaska on a U.S. Geological Survey Agency expedition. After returning, he reenlisted with the Marines and went into transportation. Despite limited vision, he was awarded a sharpshooter metal. He experienced extreme battle conditions in Korea. He took shrapnel in his leg. He was briefly sent home to recuperate before returning to battle. During this brief medical leave he went on a blind double date where he met the lovely Verna Peterson. With bandages wrapped around his head, Mike wore his OD green Marines uniform (he claimed with a laugh “only the band wears the dress blues”). The two were an instant match, and were later married, but the ravages of war took a toll on Mike. Despite intense love, the two were separated/divorced before coming back together and living the most genuine and deep love story for almost 58 years.
Mike and Verna adopted two sons, Alan and Daniel and lavished them with loving care and strong family bonds. They bought a small ranch and started Langworth Farms. At first, he took over his dad’s role at the Oakdale FES Hall and joined the Oakdale PD reserves. He worked for Hunt and Wesson for 18 years before finishing his career with East Bay Municipal Utilities District as an ICBO certified senior welding/special inspector. He loved animals, raced motorcycles, BCRA midgets and piloted his own airplane. The three things in life that mattered most to him were God, Family and Country. He was very involved and supportive of area youth. He was a P.A.L activities leader, coached for the Oakdale Youth Soccer League and was a dedicated project and club leader for the Ladino 4-H club.
Mike is preceded in death by his wife Verna, brother Robert, and parents Anna and Charles. He is survived by his constant companion “Chewy”, sister Rosemary Lapham, sons Alan (Tammy) and Daniel, nieces, nephews, grandchildren and great grandchildren, all of whom he loved and celebrated daily.
We will salute this decorated war hero and pray for him. Join us at St. Mary’s Catholic Church for a Rosary at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 17 and a funeral mass at 10 a.m., on Thursday, January 18 with a celebration of life following mass at the church. Private interment at Oakdale Citizens Cemetery. Semper Fi.
The Oakdale (Calif.) Leader
The Riverbank (Calif.) News
Jan. 10, 2024
