Lee Ahrens

Lee Ahrens, 82 of Las Cruces, NM, died Wednesday, June 13, 2007 at Mountain View Regional Medical Center. Lee was born in Franklinville, New York to William and Carolina Ahrens. He had served his country honorably with the 11th Airborne Division during WWII in the Pacific. On his 20th birthday the division landed near Tacloban, Leyte. On February 1945 the division rescued 2,147 civilian Allied Internees known as the "Los Banos Rescue". The family first moved to Las Cruces where he was assigned to the Army Reserve Center on Brown Road. He retired from the Army in 1965. He then worked at the Apollo Site as well as out of Saudi Arabia. In 1975 he and his wife moved to Trout Valley in the Gila Mountains where they lived for 19 years before returning to Las Cruces. Lee is survived by his wife Louise Ahrens; one son Craig J. Ahrens of Belding, Michigan; two daughters, Ann M. Gomez of Las Cruces, NM, and Joyce L. Gemoets and her husband Gary of Las Cruces, NM. Also surviving Lee are 13 grandchildren: Craig II, John (Chrissa), James (Kathryn), Josh and Lena Ahrens. Lacie Vezino (James), Felicia Villarreal (Paul), Victor, Maire (Tim Holguin) and Adam Gomez, Cassandra Bettenberg (Chad), Naomi Wood (Cory) and Aaron Gemoets (Danielle); 14 great grandchildren, and one great great grandchild. A gathering of family and friends will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 21, at Getz Funeral Home. The Funeral Service will be at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 22, 2007 at Getz Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Don Shockley officiating. The burial will follow at Ft. Bliss National Cemetery at 2 p.m. with full military honors. PDF Printable Version