Clifford Vincent Koistinen

Bryant, Madison, SD

1939, 791, Lightning Creek, F-14,

Funeral services will be Thurs., Jan. 11, for Clifford Vincent Koistinen, 85, Midland, Texas, who died on Jan. 7, 2007. The Rev. Mike Hanks will officiate in First Assembly of God Church at Midland, and burial will be in Resthaven Memorial Park.

Koistinen was born on July 10, 1921, at Hayti to Dogne and Martin Koistinen. He attended public schools in South Dakota and moved to Detroit, Mich., where he married Mary Elizabeth Skidmore on Jan. 18, 1942. He was a tool and dye maker and worked for 30 years in Michigan before moving to Tacoma, Wash., where he retired from Boeing Aircraft Co. In 1990, they moved to Midland. His wife died in 1991. He married Lillian Woods in 1996.

He served in the Army during World War II in the Intelligence and Reconnaissance platoon of Headquarters Company, 32nd, Infantry Regiment, 7th Army Division. Was wounded in 1945 in the invasion of Okinawa Island for which he received the Purple Heart.

He was also preceded in death by his parents; a brother, George; three sisters, Gladys "Luella" Robinson, Adelaide Oldenkamp and Betty Downs; a brother-in-law, Noel Dingman; a sister-in-law, Erma Koistinen; and a son-in-law, Anthony Perez.

Survivors include his wife, Lillian of Midland; two sons, Clifford "Vincent" (Carolyn) of Ft. Myers, Fla., and Robert "Bob" (Linda) of Sugar Land, Texas; three daughters, Linda (Kevin) Pfister of Edmond, Okla., Janie (Dee) Phillips of Odessa, Texas, and Sue "Ann" (Dan) Danila of Anchorage, Alaska; 10 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; two brothers, Gerald (Virginia) of Warren, Mich., and Kermitt (Doris) of Arlington, Texas; a sister, Violet (Roland) Damiani of Palm Desert, Calif.; a sister-in-law, Esther Skidmore of Robinson, Ill.; and two stepchildren, Gary (Pam) Yee of Sugar Land, Texas, and Becky (Bob) Ernst of Austin, Texas.

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