U.S. Veteran. Burial Date: January 22, 2020. Lewis F. Montgomery, 96, died Thursday, Jan. 16. He was born June 11, 1923 in Vilonia, Arkansas to the late Jesse and Mamie Montgomery (nee Vaughn). Beloved husband of the late Betty Jean Montgomery (nee Alcorn); dearest father and father-in-law of Vaughn (Bonnie) Montgomery and Leah (Ron) McClure; loving grandfather to Jason (Stephanie) Montgomery, Lauren Montgomery and Ryan McClure; loving great-grandfather of Cal and Bella Montgomery; dear brother of the late Eulos Montgomery, late Lois Tucker and late Doyne Montgomery and his two surviving sisters, Corrine Stokes and Valjean Castleberry. A dear brother-in-law, uncle and great uncle. As a young boy growing up on a family farm, Lewis learned the meaning of hard work at the tender age of 6, pulling mule teams and plowing fields with his older brother, Eulos. Lewis was drafted in World War II in 1943, where he served in the U.S. Army Air Corps Medical Unit. He graduated from OReilly General Hospital in Springfield and was sent to Jefferson Barracks for overseas training. From there he was shipped to the Galapagos Islands where he and his unit protected the U.S. Army Air Force base on Baltra Island against the threat of enemy attack near the Panama Canal. It is here that Lewis learned new skills as a dental assistant and was given honorable discharge in 1946. Lewis moved to St. Louis, where he met and fell in love with Betty Jean Alcorn. They were married on Sept. 20, 1950, raised two children and were married for 52 years. For his career, Lewis worked several jobs including Artistic Iron where he learned his skill of welding; Monsanto, working in the chemical plant on dye and alcohol churns; Modern Metals where he honed his welding skills on anodized gold and worked with an architect to design and shape the bronze railing on the outside of what is now the Catholic Education Center on Lindell Boulevard. The railing was fashioned to resemble an archbishops ring. Lewis ended his career at Steelweld Equipment Co. working on utility truck bodies until his retirement. Some of Lewis hobbies in life included planting flowers and vegetables in the small South City backyard, building and collecting clocks, working with wood creating toys for the grandkids and gifts for family and neighbors, inventing small gadgets to help feed the birds in winter and feed fish during family visits to the farm. He lived a good life until he was diagnosed with advanced dementia/Alzheimers in 2012 when he went to live with family. He was eventually moved to a few memory care facilities until his final home was the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau, where he received tender, loving care by the excellent staff who are employed there. Visitation and services were held Wednesday, Jan. 22 at Jay B. Smith Funeral Homes, Inc. Lewis was laid to rest at Mount Lebanon Cemetery with full military honors. Donations to the Missouri Veterans Home, 2400 Veterans Memorial Drive, Cape Girardeau, 63701 Attn: Kristen Pind; or the Alzheimers Association, 9370 Olive Blvd., 63132, would be appreciated.