Military Funeral Held for Rettgers

Veteran Groups Attend Service in Body

A military funeral, attended by hundreds of representatives of veteran organizations, relatives and friends, was held this afternoon for Captain Thamar B. Rettgers at the Henninger Funeral home. The Rev. Leighten S. Palmer, pastor of Windsor Street M.E. Church of which the late world-war veteran was a member, conducted the rites. At the grave in Charles Evans Cemetery, Major Henry W. Prentiss, of Bethlehem, an officer at the Valley Forge Military College, conducted the committal service. Officers of the 213th anti-Aircraft Coast Artillery Regiments, headed by Colonel C.J. Smith, Allentown, attended in a body. The military and veteran organizations met at their respective headquarters and marched to the funeral home. March to Cemetery First Lieutenant Albert H. Early , of Captain Rettgers' Battery G, and Captain John E Hickman, commander of Battery A, had their entire companies in a uniform and marched to the cemetery as an escort of honor. At the grave a squad of Captain Rettgers' men fired a salute. The squad consisted of Second Lieutenant Kenneth Tarves, in charge; First Sergeant Harry Leinbach, Sergeants Jesse R. Conner, Harry Roland, Harry Feather, Emerson Hoover, Stanley Witzel, Anthony Remba and Earl Wheeler. Members of Old Company I, in which Captain Rettgers served in France as a private, corporal, and sergeant through some of the heaviest fighting of the World War, served as active bearers. Among the organizations represented were Gregg Post, American Legion; Greater Reading Post, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Reading Artillerists. Honorary Bearers The honorary bearers, officers of the Second Battalion were: Major William J. Smith, First Lieutenant Ralph O. Bowman, Captain David J. Evans, First Lieutenant John r Oatman, Second Lieutenant Carroll E. Stauffer, Captain George T. Tucker, First Lieutenant Phillip H Melching, and Second Lieutenant John W. Feather. A guard was placed at the bier from 1 o'clock this afternoon until the funeral, at 2 o'clock. Last evening more than 800 persons viewed the body. During the morning hours, several hundred more pass the bier. Captain Rettgers died early Wednesday in the Reading Hospital.

Ithamar Rettgers