LAGRANGE—On a cool Thursday June morning, dark clouds loomed in the sky and rain threatened, but none of that mattered to LaGrange resident Jean Pearson as she stood in Greenwood Cemetery, watching a pair of workers from LaGrange Monument Works carefully place her father’s headstone.
In that moment, the only thought running through Pearson’s mind was that her dad was finally home.
Her father, Pfc. Lyle James Houchin, a member of the U.S. Army’s 109th Infantry Unit, was killed in action on Jan. 30, 1945 during the Battle of Colmar Pocket in Alsace, France. Pearson was only 3-months old at the time.
After the war ended, her family opted to leave Houchin’s remains buried in France.
Despite never knowing her father, in 1987 Pearson set off for France to see his gravesite firsthand because she wanted to know more about him. It was the first and only time she made the trip to see him.
Standing with her hand covering her mouth, Pearson watched closely as Chris Speicher filled in dirt around the freshly placed marker.
“My dad’s home,” Pearson said.” We’ve never had any place to go other than the one trip to Europe.”
Although her father’s physical remains remain in France, Pearson said having a memorial here in Indiana offered closure.
“It’s like a closing even though it’s been all these years later; it’s a closure,” Pearson said.
She is also happy that people visiting Greenwood Cemetery will get to know who her father was.
“It’s having people come out here and see that he did serve, he was a hero, he defended this country for me, my kids, my grandkids. It just means a lot,” Pearson said.
“I’m excited about having a place where I can put a Father’s Day wreath,” Pearson added.
Houchin’s headstone was not the only new marker placed in Greenwood Cemetery Thursday. Through the work of the Veteran’s Headstone Projected, headed by Jean McKibben, 11 new markers were placed — four at Greenwood and seven in a small cemetery just south of Plato.
McKibben feels a connection to veterans because of her dad.
“My father was a World War II veteran,” McKibben explained. “I spent my childhood with dad watching the old news reels. I would sit there and he would talk about the war... I can remember his emotions and the things he would say. It really moved me; I’ll never forget those conversations.”
McKibben started the Veteran’s Headstone Project in 2011 out of concern for the condition of older headstones in cemeteries throughout LaGrange County.
“I would be out in the cemeteries and I would see these headstones in horrible condition, unreadable, broken down and flag holders were with them,” McKibben explained. “So I knew it was a soldier and I thought it was incredibly sad.”
So far, the project has replaced more than 150 headstones, at a rate of about 30 each year. The project is funded entirely by donations and LaGrange Monument Works provides the headstones at cost. Interested donors may contact the LaGrange County Community Foundation.
Standing back in Greenwood Cemetery, the two women looked over Houchin’s headstone after its installation was completed.
“(McKibben) took an interest in the fact that my father had no memorial in the United States, so she added my dad’s name to the list of the restoration program and this is the result 73 years later.” Pearson said. “I have him, something for him here.”
Before McKibben left for Plato, they hugged.
“That’s probably the ultimate satisfaction, that you’ve brought peace, you’ve brought joy, you’ve brought finalization for some of these people.” McKibben said. “They finally have something. Now they can close a chapter.”