Ole Ivy Langham

Ole I. Langham, great grandson of Beaumont pioneer James Biddle Langham, passed away on Tuesday morning, June 15, 2004. He was preceded in death by parents, Onyx and Alma Langham; his sister, Ellen Broussard; and his son, Larry Langham.

He was 78 years old, a resident of Vidor, Texas, and a former long-time resident of Beaumont, Texas. He was married for 57 years to the love of his life, Mildred.

Survivors, in addition to his wife Mildred Cecilia Yarbrough Langham, are son Gerald Langham, daughter-in-law Sandra Langham, and grandchildren Jay and Kelley Langham, and his faithful companion (man’s best friend) Ranger.

Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m. Thursday, June 17, 2004 at Broussard’s, 2000 McFaddin, Beaumont with a military burial to follow at Restlawn Cemetery, Vidor. A gathering of family and friends will be from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Wednesday evening, June 16, 2004 at the mortuary.

Ole was a member of The Greatest Generation, he graduated from Beaumont High School in May 1943, and promptly joined the Navy. He was a World War II veteran, having served in the Pacific Theater as a Navy sailor on the U.S.S. Capricornus (AKA-57) from 1943-1946. Some of the campaigns that he participated in were the invasions of Kwajalein, Eniwetok, Saipan, Luzon, Leyte, Lingayen, and Okinawa. He sailed into Nagasaki, Japan in September 1945 with the occupation forces.

He was a “plank-owner”, part of the commissioning crew of the Newly-built “Scrappy Cappy”. His battle station was gunner on the ship’s forward 40mm anti-aircraft battery. He experienced many things in the Pacific, including Kamikaze attacks, beach landings, and huge convoys of ships.

Ole’s career employment was at the Magnolia Refinery as an operator for 37 years. It became the Mobil Oil Refinery before he retired. Ole’s last assignment was board operator on the PTR unit.

Ole was a devoted husband, a very involved and doting father, and super grandpa. He enjoyed the simple pleasures of life, and he was a FUN FELLOW!