Home > United States of America > Iowa > Decatur County > Lamoni > Rose Hill Cemetery > Orville LeRoy Hiles

Orville LeRoy Hiles

1 / 2

2 / 2

❮ ❯

Orville LeRoy Hiles

Birth	:	4 Nov 1925 Independence, Jackson County, Missouri, USA
Death	:	20 Nov 2005 Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, USA
Burial	:	Rose Hill Cemetery, Lamoni, Decatur County, USA
Coordinate	:	40.6250000, -93.9475021
Plot	:	Section 2, Lot A3, Space 2n (north edge of space)
Description	:	WORLD WAR II VETERAN MOTHER: Ella Marie "Maree" Lovell FATHER: Perry Lorenzo Hiles, Sr. SPOUSE: Norma Ruth Derry CHILDREN: Barbara Jalon, Jeffrey Paul, Nancy Derry, Thomas Scott Newspaper Obituary, by Sara Shipley Hiles The Lamoni Chronicle, Thurs, 12/1/2005, pgs 1-2 Orville LeRoy Hiles, a two-term mayor of Lamoni and World War II veteran who was known as a second father to many Graceland University students, died Nov. 20 of complications from a severe asthma attack at a hospital in Indianapolis. He was 80 years old. Mr. Hiles was born in Independence, Mo. on Nov 4, 1925,... Read More	WORLD WAR II VETERAN MOTHER: Ella Marie "Maree" Lovell FATHER: Perry Lorenzo Hiles, Sr. SPOUSE: Norma Ruth Derry CHILDREN: Barbara Jalon, Jeffrey Paul, Nancy Derry, Thomas Scott Newspaper Obituary, by Sara Shipley Hiles The Lamoni Chronicle, Thurs, 12/1/2005, pgs 1-2 Orville LeRoy Hiles, a two-term mayor of Lamoni and World War II veteran who was known as a second father to many Graceland University students, died Nov. 20 of complications from a severe asthma attack at a hospital in Indianapolis. He was 80 years old. Mr. Hiles was born in Independence, Mo. on Nov 4, 1925, the middle son of Maree and Perry L. Hiles When Perry Hiles lost his job as a grain inspector, he moved the family to a farm in Bates City, Mo., whose soil was so poor that family friends later joked it grew only rocks. The family raised a few cows, pigs, horses, and sheep on its 73 acres, and they lived without electricity, running water or an indoor bathroom. Orville and his brothers, Perry and Harold, known as "Cap," rode ponies to school three miles away. The boys were raised in a devout household that adhered to the tenets of the Reorganized Church of Latter-Day Saints. After graduating from high school in Missouri at age 17, Mr. Hiles arrived in Lamoni to attend Graceland College. Among his jobs on campus, he had to cut weeds with a hand-held scythe. One day, while mowing down weeds, he beheaded some chickens that belonged to a university professor. Mr. Hiles, never one to waste good chicken, took the birds to Herald Hall and built a fire indoors on the marble floor, where he cooked a feast for his friends. It was not the only time Mr. Hiles's pranks got him in trouble, friends said. The fun-loving freshman officially studied business, but friends said he majored in "girls." With most young men away serving in World War II, Mr. Hiles enjoyed escorting several young women on a date at once. When he turned 18, Mr. Hiles faced the draft. He didn't like the Idea of sleeping outside in an Army tent, and he didn't think he could kill anyone in hand-to-hand combat, so he joined the Navy, which seemed like a safer option. Soon he was called up for boot camp in Idaho and training in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. Then he shipped off to San Francisco, where the Navy assigned him to a destroyer, the USS Luce. The ship sailed to the South Pacific, and Mr. Hiles took up position on a gun crew. On the morning of May 4, 1945, the ship was patrolling off the coast of Okinawa, watching for enemy suicide planes. A Kamikaze hit the USS Luce mid-ship, sinking the massive destroyer in a matter of minutes. Severe burns covered 60 percent of Mr. Hiles's body, and a fellow shipmate had to help him jump overboard. He later reported that, after plunging into the ocean, he thought he would never resurface. But when a rescue boat plucked him from the water hours later, he tried to jump back in because the pain of the open air on his wounds was almost unbearable. Of the 360 men on board, only about 200 survived. Mr. Hiles, the lone survivor from his gun crew, won a Purple Heart and spent seven months recuperating in burn units in Hawaii and California. Later, Mr. Hiles told his family that he had received last rites from a Catholic priest. His father asked him why he let the priest do that Orville replied, "It seemed like a good idea at the time." After being discharged from the hospital, Mr. Hiles and his scars returned to college, along with many other veterans buoyed by the G.I. Bill. In the fall of 1946, a freshman co-ed named Norma Derry noticed the handsome war hero sitting in the cafeteria. Her friends thought she should take the young man to the winter formal, but he happened to be dating someone else. Undeterred, Ms. Derry hatched a plan. "I said, 'I've never met him, but I bet I could hit him with this peach.' " She then cut a peach from her plate with a spoon and flicked it at Mr. Hiles, reportedly hitting him on the forehead. "Then he noticed me," she recounted years later. The pair attended the winter formal, started dating, and got engaged the next summer. Mr. Hiles left Graceland, which was then a two-year college, to finish his business degree at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo. The couple married at the Graceland College Chapel on May 22, 1948. Orville and Norma Hiles lived in Columbia and then in Independence, Mo., where Orville served as pastor of the South Chrysler and Blue Ridge RLDS churches. The family lived in a house that Mr. Hiles built with the help of his family. He briefly worked for the J.C. Penney Co. before embarking on a career with Swift & Co., a meat-packing business. Over nearly a quarter century with the company, Mr. Hiles rose from an entry-level job as an "efficiency expert" to head of frozen foods, which was then a new concept in American cooking. In the 1950s, the couple had four children: Barbara, Jeffrey, Nancy and Tom. Swift transferred Mr. Hiles to its Chicago office, and in 1955, the family moved to Park Forest, Ill., a suburb south of the city. Mr. Hiles took the train to work downtown every day and frequently traveled for his job, working for customers that Included the burger chain White Castle. Always interested in civic affairs and politics, Mr. Hiles served several terms on the local Crete-Monee School Board, eventually becoming its president. He also served as the district president of the RLDS church's Chicago District. In 1972, tired of big-city life and faced with the prospect of several children and a wife who wanted to attend college, Mr. Hiles quit his job at Swift and moved his family back to Lamoni, where he took a job as director of business affairs for Graceland College. The perks of his position included free tuition for family members, which delighted the frugal Mr. Hiles. Mrs. Hiles and all four Hiles children graduated from the college. During his time at Graceland, Mr. Hiles took many students under his wing. One of them, Nancy Richards, later said that Mr. Hiles was her father away from home. Mr. Hiles also immersed himself in the community, joining the Chamber of Commerce and the Lions Club. He was a member of the city council and served two terms as mayor. He cleaned up derelict property, brought new businesses into the city and entertained Iowa governors. He raised money for a new medical clinic and secured state and federal funding for a new tourist welcome center on Interstate 35. He loved small-town events, such as the Fourth of July parade, and once grew a scruffy beard for a bicentennial beard contest. He and Norma also operated an antique store called Yesterday's Treasures in downtown Lamoni. No matter was too small for his attention, and no one could escape his persuasive charm. Lamoni resident Doyle Baughman recounted how Mr. Hiles once sweetly asked him if he could use his wood shop, and then Mr. Hiles enlisted him to build a bridge for a bike trail, a project that consumed the shop for several months Mr. Hiles also liked to commandeer friends' pickup trucks and drive around town shoveling tar into potholes. "That was his idea of fun," said Randy Meline, who became friends with the elder man soon after moving to Lamoni. Despite living through the Great Depression and the horrors of war, Mr. Hiles remained optimistic and confident that the world's future was bright. He liked to tell his children, "You're never as good when people are praising you, or as bad as when they are criticizing you, so be steady." Friends and family members remarked on his gift for unconditional love, which was most evident around children. Many young people found in him the proud, loving father figure they wished they had. Mr. Hiles developed asthma late in life, and he suffered an attack that shut down his breathing and stopped his heart while he and Norma were driving to Charlottesville, Va. to spend Thanksgiving at a daughter's home. Emergency workers resuscitated him, but Mr. Hiles did not regain consciousness after the incident. Family members gathered at his bedside at Wishard Memorial Hospital, where he peacefully passed away three days later. Mr. Hiles is survived by his wife, Norma Derry Hiles, of Lamoni; a brother, Harold "Cap" Hiles of Lady Lake, Fla. , two daughters, Barbara Hiles Mesle of Lamoni and Nancy Hiles Johnson of Charlottesville, a son, Tom Hiles, of Bowling Green, Ky., and eight grandchildren. A son, Jeffrey Hiles, preceded him in death. A joyful memorial service was held at the Community of Christ Church in Lamoni on Nov. 25. The family plans to bury Mr. Hiles's ashes at Rose Hill Cemetery in Lamoni next summer.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Orville LeRoy Hiles's memorial?
Orville LeRoy Hiles's memorial is located at: Rose Hill Cemetery, Lamoni, Decatur County, USA.
When did Orville LeRoy Hiles death?
Orville LeRoy Hiles death on 20 Nov 2005 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Orville LeRoy Hiles's memorial?
Latitude: 40.6250000
Longitude: -93.9475021

Family Members:

Parent

Spouse

Norma Ruth Derry Hiles

(1928 - 2018)

Siblings

Children

Jeffrey Paul Hiles

(1952 - 1998)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Rose Hill Cemetery
Lamoni, Decatur County, USA
Coordinate: 40.6250000, -93.9475021

2. Sweet Home Cemetery
Fayette Township, Decatur County, USA
Coordinate: 40.5946550, -93.9566660

3. Lillie Cemetery
Lamoni, Decatur County, USA
Coordinate: 40.6565829, -93.9418602

4. Creveling Cemetery
Lamoni, Decatur County, USA
Coordinate: 40.6309232, -93.8984728

5. Hollen Cemetery
Lamoni, Decatur County, USA
Coordinate: 40.5952000, -94.0097000

6. Lewis Cemetery
Kellerton, Ringgold County, USA
Coordinate: 40.6588500, -94.0280500

7. Andover Cemetery
Andover, Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 40.5588989, -93.9008026

8. Terre Haute Cemetery
Terre Haute, Decatur County, USA
Coordinate: 40.6836646, -93.8800621

9. Bucy Cemetery
Decatur City, Decatur County, USA
Coordinate: 40.6902056, -93.8869286

10. New Buda Cemetery
Davis City, Decatur County, USA
Coordinate: 40.6027448, -93.8314819

11. Patrick Cemetery
Riley Township, Ringgold County, USA
Coordinate: 40.5900000, -94.0586000

12. Downey Cemetery
Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 40.5581017, -93.8606033

13. Elk Cemetery
Lamoni, Decatur County, USA
Coordinate: 40.7210467, -93.9390707

14. Mount Zion Cemetery
Riley Township, Ringgold County, USA
Coordinate: 40.5960000, -94.0731000

15. IOOF Cemetery
Davis City, Decatur County, USA
Coordinate: 40.6405800, -93.8174600

16. Miller Cemetery
Decatur County, USA
Coordinate: 40.7026000, -93.8592000

17. Anderson Cemetery
Eagleville, Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 40.5293503, -93.9983292

18. Mount Pleasant No 2 Baptist Church Cemetery
Blythedale, Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 40.5300010, -93.8916160

19. Old Davis City Cemetery
Davis City, Decatur County, USA
Coordinate: 40.6415100, -93.8115800

20. Brown Cemetery
Eagleville, Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 40.5447006, -94.0357971

21. Millsap Cemetery
Grand River, Decatur County, USA
Coordinate: 40.7333310, -93.9502260

22. Maple Row Cemetery
Kellerton, Ringgold County, USA
Coordinate: 40.7077700, -94.0424500

23. Catholic Cemetery
Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 40.5522003, -93.8380966

24. Payne Cemetery
Hatfield, Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 40.5592003, -94.0733032