Harry E. Gene Cain's Obituary
Harry Eugene “Gene†Cain, long-time resident of rural Moline, Kansas, died Tuesday, February 9, 2010, at the Kansas Veteran’s Home in Winfield, Kansas. He was 88 years old.
Gene was born June 23, 1921, near Burlingame, Kansas, to James Fred and Emily Alice (Burton) Cain. The second of four sons, Gene spent his boyhood years helping on the family farms in the Burlingame and Burlington, Kansas, area. At about age 13 Gene’s family moved to a farm near Elk Falls, Kansas.
Gene received his invitation to join with Uncle Sam in 1942 and he left for camp in September of that year. Not wanting his sweetheart to “get awayâ€, he married Margaret Ann McCormick on May 20, 1944 at Army Camp Plauche, near New Orleans, Louisiana, just days before shipping out… literally. Gene cruised to Europe on the Queen Mary troop transport with 5000 other recruits and went ashore on a French beach just a few weeks after the D-Day invasion. Gene was honorably discharged and returned home to Margaret the day after Christmas, 1945.
Gene and Margaret set about to make their home while living and working on several cattle ranches in the Kansas Flint Hills. Son Dale Eugene was born November 14, 1946 and daughter Catherine Elise on March 26, 1952.
In the early 1960’s Gene and family moved to Elk County, Kansas (Elk Falls area) and eventually bought a two-story ranch home and tall grass acreage three miles west of Moline, Kansas. They christened their ranch “Cainlane†because of their quarter-mile “lane†or driveway. There they lived for 40 years raising beef cattle and “riding the rangeâ€. Multiple strokes forced Gene into care facilities in 2006 and Margaret moved from Cainlane in the summer of 2007.
Gene was preceded in death by his parents and elder brother Henry Paul. He is survived by his wife Margaret of Ponca City, Oklahoma, brothers Howard Max of Fredonia, Kansas and James Donald of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, son Dale and daugher-in-law Lynnda of Litchfield Park, Arizona, daughter Catherine and son-in-law Mark Byard of Ponca City, Oklahoma, and five grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 P.M., Monday, February 15, 2010 at the Zimmerman Funeral Home in Howard, Kansas, visitation will be from 11:30 to 12:30 prior to the service, with interment to follow at the Moline Cemetery. Military rites under the direction of Ft. Riley Honor Guard. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Harry Hynes Hospice. Condolences may be left at: www.countrysidefh.com. Arrangements are under the direction of Zimmerman Funeral Home 206 E. Washington, P.O. Box 1233, Howard, KS 67349
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