Orum J. McMasters, 96, passed away on February 21, 2017 at the Western Nebraska Veterans Home.
Orum was born on May 1, 1920, to Fay B. and Zella (Case) McMasters. He was delivered at the family home on 321 E. 4th Street, Alliance, NE. Orum worked as a paint contractor all of his working adult life and finally retired at age 75.
On October 14, 1947, he married Marcine Peltz of Hemingford, NE. From this union, he was blessed with two children, Pamela (McMasters) Jespersen of Omaha, NE and John McMasters of Brooklyn, NY.
Orum was drafted into the US Army on August 27, 1941 and finished his basic training on December 6, 1941—one day before Pearl Harbor. He transferred with the 41st Infantry on December 9, 1941 to Seattle, WA and then was shipped overseas in April 1942. He traveled to Australia on the Queen Elizabeth and then spent 32 months in New Guinea as a combat engineer. During his time here, he laid 24 miles of pipeline stretching from the coast to a new air strip that Amelia Earhart had previously taken off on and then disappeared. During his time overseas, his Army Infantry helped chase the Japanese off of the island. Based off a points system, Orum was selected to return to the United States in December 1944. He then went to Ft. Leavenworth and continued his service with Army as a combat instructor. He was honorably discharged on August 29, 1945.
Orum was preceded in death by his parents, sister, Oma Fisher of Omaha, NE, and brother William McMaster of Denver, Colorado. Orum leaves behind his daughter, Pam, son, John, grandson Robert (Gus) Jespersen and his wife Krista Bartz-Jespersen of Alaska and two great-grandchildren, Arlo and Lyle Jespersen.
Memorials in Orum’s name may be given to the American Legion in Alliance or to the Western Nebraska Veterans Home in Scottsbluff.
Funeral services will be Tuesday, February 28 at 2:00 p.m. at the Bates-Gould Chapel with Pastor Kent Steinke officiating. Burial will military honors will be in the Alliance Cemetery.
Online condolences may be left at www.batesgould.com.