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Submitted: 6/17/22 • Approved: 7/3/22 • Last Updated: 7/6/22 • R1437077-G1437077-S3
Robert James Belzung
December 10, 1917 - July 31, 2012
Fern Estelle Littrell Belzung
April 16, 1925 - May 14, 2013
*Obituary
Robert James Belzung, 94 of Fort Smith passed away July 31, 2012 in Fort Smith, Ark. He was born December 10, 1917 to Jules Belzung and Jeanette Weidman. They were immigrants from France, and his father Jules Belzung built the home at 2224 Tilles Avenue in Ft. Smith where Robert Belzung was born. The home still stands today.
About 1921, the family moved to what is now Ballman Elementry School at 1700 South Greenwood Avenue, and purchased property comprising about 20-25 acres to be known as Cedar Grove Dairy or Belzung Dairy. Robert Belzung grew up there assisting along with his brother and sister to the daily milking and delivering the fresh bottled milk to the neighborhoods in the area. About 1947, the property was sold to the city, and Ballman Elementry School was constructed shortly thereafter.
He attended Bell Point, and Darby Jr. High School. Would walk many miles having fun on the Poteau River with his childhood friends.
Soon after graduating from Ft. Smith High School in 1936, Robert Belzung enlisted in the US Navy. He was aboard the USS Mayo, a Benson-class destroyer in the North Atlantic, on May 24, 1941, when the radio transmission came that the HMS Hood, the British battle cruiser had been sunk by the German battleship Bismark. By the time the USS Mayo arrived on scene, the Bismark had also been sunk. He served on several other ships, including the USS Hornet, when after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Robert assisted in the rescue and the dreadful removal of US seamen from the damaged and destroyed ships. In April 1942, he was on the USS Hornet when 16 B-25B Mitchell medium bombers were launched beginning General Doolittle's raid on Tokyo, and on 4 June 1942 during the Battle of Midway in the central Pacific. Only during the later years of his life did he relate these life stories.
After serving in the Navy, Robert Belzung enrolled in Elgin Watchmakers College in Elgin, Illinois. He used his skills learned there to open a small watch repair business in Fort Smith, Ark. in 1949-1951.
He was actively involved in Amateur (Ham) radio from the 1950s. He had an Extra Class License, Ham Radio Operator call letters: N5XLS.
He met his lovely wife, Fern Littrell Belzung, while on leave in Idaho, where they married and returned in 1948 to reside in Fort Smith and raise their family. They purchased a thirty acre farm in Crawford County and had multitude of animals, and three children to raise. Arose every morning at 4:30 to milk the cows and feed various animals. They made butter, sold the cream from the milk, gathered eggs; still made time to hunt and fish and go swimming at Peevee House Ford on Lee Creek.
He was employed at Fort Chaffee during the 1950's as a Fire Control Technician and Optic Repair. When Fort Chaffee closed, Robert went back to school to train for his next occupation at Bergstrom Air Force Base, near Austin, Texas. During the height of the Cold War, Robert was assigned to the missile defense at the SAC Command Center at Bergstrom Air Force Base.
In 1965 he transferred to Batesville, Arkansas as a Civil Service Inspector at Batesville Manufacturing where he retired in 1972. He returned to Fort Smith, and enjoyed his well earned retirement, surrounded by family and friends. One of whom was Hugh A. East- Find A Grave Memorial# 42457851-and his family that visited each other on a regular basis.
He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Fern Littrell Belzung of the home. Three children: Sharon Louise Stewart and husband Raymond Stewart of Ft. Smith, Robert James Belzung Jr. and wife Nelda Dodd Belzung of Bogata, Texas, William Ernest Belzung and wife Salvacion Monta Belzung of Barling, Ark., Grandchildren: Renee Falloran Belzung of Ft. Smith, Andrew Littrell Belzung of Barling, Ark., Bobbie Jo Cate and husband Eddie Cate of Dennison, Texas, Moniquie Belzung of Sherman, Texas, Lyle Dodd of Bogata, Texas. Great Grand Child, Taylor Marie Peterson of Dennison, Texas, niece Paula Jones of La Jolla, California.
Robert Belzung was predeceased by: his parents: Jules Belzung and Jeanette Weidman. A Grandchild, Stephen Monta Belzung, a brother, Paul Belzung, and sister, Beatrice Belzung.
*Obituary
Fern Estelle Belzung, 88, passed away on May 14, 2013 in Fort Smith, AR. She was born April 16, 1925 to Lee Roy Littrell and Mary Pauline Smith in Springdale, AR. She grew up in a loving family and her parents left Arkansas in 1927 to travel to Idaho in a Model T Ford to have a better life for them. Her father, Roy would stop when they needed money, and find work for a few days on the many farms along the way making about 15 cents/hour. They would sometimes just park off the road to sleep at night or get permission to sleep in a barn. One instance when they were in Idaho, one of the cousins stated to her father Roy: "you had better get the chickens, because Pauline is getting ready to go to Arkansas." From 1927 to about 1940, Fern said she made at least 13 trips between Arkansas and Idaho, 2800 miles round trip. These were driven mostly in a Model T Ford: a 20 horsepower, top speed 45 mph, rough ride, and incessant rattling, and on dirt roads.
Fern grew up in Idaho, where in her teenage years, while working in a restaurant in Sun Valley, Idaho; she met her future husband and he love of her life, Robert "Bob" Belzung. He was there on R&R from the Navy, stationed in San Diego, California. Within a year or so, they married and after her husband was discharged from the service, they decided to move back to Arkansas, this time to Fort Smith, where her husband Bob and his family lived. This was in 1948, where they settled in a comfortable home on 27th Street.
By that time she had her hands full raising three small children and taking care of her family. They decided to move to a 30 acre farm in Van Buren, AR in 1950 when her middle child, Bobby, almost got hit by a car when it swerved into the yard where he was playing on North 27th Street, Fern proved to be the catalyst that united the family during this time while living on the farm. There was laundry to do, getting children ready for school, meals prepared, helping with homework, and assisting with the chores around the farm. Wait, you say, don't most moms do these things? Yes, but what makes this a little more exceptional is that Fern did these and more on this farm without the benefit of indoor plumbing and no drinking water from the premises. All drinking water had to be brought from town in 5 gallon glass containers. The well water was not drinkable, was only used for bathing, which the family did on a regular basis in washtubs, after Fern heated pots of water to add so the water would be just right. Then each child, one after the other would bathe. Fern would do laundry in an electric washer with a wringer attached to get excess water out, and then hang all on a clothes line. After the cow was milked daily, she would skim the cream from the top of the milk and would sell it to the neighbors. Some of it was used to make homemade butter for the family to enjoy. Excess eggs were gathered and also sold for extra money. Her children remember well the homemade biscuits and gravy that were "to die for" that she made on a regular basis. Except one time when she cracked one of the fresh eggs and a baby chicken popped out in the skillet. That was a scream the family won't quickly forget.
When summer rolled around, that was the time a hog or a calf would be killed and butchered. Fern would be right there wrapping and labeling the cuts, making sausage, and taking the meat to the freezer located then on Rogers Ave. near 9th St., in Fort Smith. Can't forget the chickens. Fern and her mom, Pauline would gather several chickens at a time, lop the heads off, boil them until the feathers could be removed, cut them up and off to the freezer. She did all of this and more, taking care of her family, going to Lee Creek to swim and have picnics, fishing, and gardening.
After eight years on the farm, Fern was tired and needed a change so her husband moved the family to For Smith in 1959. In 1962, she moved with her husband to Austin, Texas after Fort Chaffee closed, where he was attached to Bergstrom Air Force Base. In 1965, Fern lived in Batesville, AR, where she resided until 1972, when Bob retired as an inspector with Batesville Mfg. Co. They retired in Fort Smith in 1972, buying a home where they would live together for the next 40 and 41 years respectively.
Survivors include her children, William E. Belzung and wife Salvacion Monta Belzung, Robert Belzung Jr. and wife Nelda Faye Dodd, and Sharron Louise Stewart and husband Raymond Stewar, her grandchildren, Andrew Littrell Belzung, Renee Falloran Arnold, Bobbie Joe Tate and husband Eddie Tate, and Monique Ann Belzung, and many aunts, uncles, nephews, and nieces. Graveside service will be held 2:00 on Saturday, May 18, 2013 at Gracelawn Cemetery in Van Buren, AR. Visitation will be 6:00-7:00 p.m. Friday, May 17, 2013 at Lewis Funeral Chapel, Fort Smith, AR. Pallbearers include Stanly Mullins, Raymond Stenant Jr., Barry East, Billy Ray Gattis, Tyler East and Dennis Cancel, with an Alternant pallbearer, Jack Garett.
Photo courtesy of Frances Allen Titsworth
Contributed on 6/17/22 by Billsully060
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Record #: 1437077