January 25, 1924 – July 31, 2011 Funeral Services for Paul E. Trotter, 87, of Whitesboro will be held at 2:00 pm August 6th, 2011 at Meador Funeral Home Chapel in Whitesboro, with nephew Rev. Ron Trotter officiating.
Mr. Trotter passed away peacefully on July 31st, 2011 at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital-WNJ in Sherman.
Paul was born on January 25th, 1924 in Tom Bean to Frank R. and Emma Esther (Powell) Trotter. He met and married Virginia Long, after a 3 week courtship , on January 3rd, 1947 in Gainesville, Texas. They have been happily married for over 64 years. He attended Bones Chapel Southern Baptist church in Whitesboro. He loved to fish and appreciated the many friends who allowed him to fish in their private ponds. He also loved to share his POW story to many schools including some in Grayson County.
After graduating from Sherman High School in 1942 he entered the Army on February 24th 1943. He arrived in Italy on February 1st, 1944. After being wounded and taken prisoner on February 23rd, 1944, he was moved to Hohenstein, Germany and placed in a prison hospital. There he remained until he was repatriated on September 26th, 1944. He was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Infantry, Good Conduct and Heroic Achievement medals.
After receiving an Honorable Discharge Paul attended Austin College, worked for Bert Bond Welding and Sherman Auto Parts. In 1958 he began work with the US Postal Service where he was retired due to disability 17 ½ years later.
Paul was also a dedicated member of a PTSD support group at the Sam Rayburn Memorial VA Center in Bonham. There he made life long friends.
Some 50 years later Paul and his wife Virginia traveled to Hohenstein, Germany with their daughter Paula and husband Frank to visit the location of Stalag IV (the prison hospital where he was held). The building, still standing, is now a Senior Retirement center. That trip was a life long dream of his and brought a sense of peace as he walked the grounds he had walked as a young soldier, so far from home, so many years ago.
Paul is survived by his loving wife Virginia of Whitesboro. Two daughters, Deborah Copeland and husband Jerry of Deadwood and Nyala Williams and husband Bruce of Austin. Three sons Frank Wayne and Paul David of Pottsboro, Robert Lee and Lisa of Howe. He is also survived by son-in-law Frank Wornhor of Whitewright and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents; Frank and Esther Trotter; a daughter Paula Wornhor; daughter-in-law, Shirley Trotter; and three brothers, Nyal, Tom, and Jerry Trotter.
Paulâ??s children would like to give special thanks to their brother Wayne, who has put his life on hold the past few years to help care for him. We would also like to thank two special nurses that went above and beyond the typical patient care while he was in the hospitalâ?¦Anna and Jason, you brought peace and understanding every time you stepped into his room.