Herman Leroy Vail...... Age 85

Visitation 1-2 pm Tuesday October 11, 2016 followed by
Service at 2 pm all at the Eddy-Birchard Funeral Home.

Burial at Miami Memorial Gardens, Paola, KS

Memorials to Endless Mercy Baptist Church, Paola, KS

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Herman Leroy Vail age 85 of Osawatomie, KS died Friday, October 7, 2016 at Miami County Medical Center, Paola, Kansas

Herman was born September 9, 1931 in Boicourt, (Linn County) Kansas the fourth child of six to Raymond Allen and Leona Hazel (Dodge) Vail.

He grew up in Linn County and attended school at both Priestley Country School and Macedonnia Country School.

On January 3, 1951 he enlisted in the United States Air Force. He was sent to California for training and attended USC, Santa Marie California College of Aeronautics and the Air Force Base in Chanute, Illinois. Taking six hundred hours of training to become an instrument specialist. He was then sent to serve in Korea on December 31, 1951 during his tour in Korea he received the SO 162 (two battle stars).  Later he was sent to the Olathe Naval Air Station just outside of Gardner, Kansas. During his time there he was one of the flight maintenance team to maintain and refuel the airplane for Captain Edward W. Kenny, during his winning flight in the 1954 Bendix Trophy Air Race for the Air Training Command.  Herman was honorably discharged from the United States Air Force on December 10, 1954.

On a Saturday morning, February 21, 1959 he married Ginger Kay Smalley in Mound City, Kansas. They made their home in Osawatomie, Kansas and became the parents of two sons.

Herman secured a position in 1966 with the United States Postal Service. He was a postal carrier in Osawatomie for twenty-four years, retiring on April 6, 1989.

Herman and his family enjoyed camping, boating and water skiing. They went on many camping trips in a four state area to the lakes and recreation spots. But one of their favorite was Table Rock Lake in southern Missouri.

He was a member of the Linn County Church of God, the Elks Lodge #921 of Osawatomie and a former member of the Osawatomie VFW.

Herman liked to watch western movies and was fond of the ones with John Wayne and Roy Rogers. He enjoyed listening to country music and one of his favorite TV shows was Bonanza.  But most of all he was a man who was proud of his family. He was quick to tell you how both his sons went to college, where they worked, and the accomplishments they made in their life. But he did not stop there, Herman would tell you about his grandchildren. How proud he was of his granddaughter Megan who had graduated from college and was now a teacher at Paola High School, and his grandson Jacob works in the IT department at Wal-Mart Distribution Center and his youngest granddaughter Kayleigh who attends Johnson County Community College and plans to become a radiologist. You would know how much he loved them and the pride he had just by the way he talked about them.

Herman was preceded in death by his parents and brothers Leland Vail at the young age of 23 years in 1944 and Hershel Vail.

He is survived by his wife Ginger of the home, this two sons: Brian (Connie) Vail and Darin (Becky) Vail and his three grandchildren: Megan Vail of Osawatomie, Jacob Vail of Ottawa and Kayleigh Vail of Osawatomie, KS and his first great grandchild on the way. His sisters Vivan Bright, Fern Brasher and Joan Stinnett. Along with other family and friends.