Arrangements finalized for funeral of Pearl Harbor victim

ONTONAGON — Arrangements have been finalized for the funeral of Navy Fireman Second Class Lowell Earl Valley, from Ontonagon, killed during an attack on the USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

The funeral is scheduled for Saturday, July 14, at Holy Family Catholic Church in Ontonagon.

Full military honors will be performed by the U.S. Navy.

The revised schedule includes, at Eastern Time:

—10:30-11 a.m .: Private family visitation, Holy Family Catholic Church.

—11 a.m.-1 p.m .: Public visitation, at the church.

—1-1:45 p.m .: Funeral services, at the church.

—2:45 p.m .: Full military rites burial, Holy Family Cemetery.

“The general public that would like to attend the visitation or funeral services are asked to park at the Ontonagon High School and shuttle buses will be provided to bring you to and from the Holy Family Catholic Church. Shuttle buses will also be available to take you from the church to the cemetery for the burial and will return to the high school after completion,” said Scott Cleary, of Ontonagon VFW Post 5600.

There will be limited parking at the church. The parking lot at the church will be blocked off for family and funeral detail personnel only.

For the general public attending the military rites burial, there will be parking available at the Ontonagon County Garage on U.S. 45. There will be golf carts available for those needing assistance to get to the cemetery from the Ontonagon County Garage.

Special parking at the cemetery will be available for military personnel-organizations participating in the ceremony.

Bob Valley received a telephone call on Jan. 19 from the Navy Casualty office in Millington, Tenn., informing him his brother had been identified by DNA.

Lowell Valley was born on July 20, 1922. He was honored with a Purple Heart, the American Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.

Two other U.P. crewmen were killed. Gerald George Lehman, of Hancock, was identified in 2010, and William Michael Finnegan, a native of Bessemer, who grew up in Dollar Bay, on May 9, 2016, according to Bob Valley.

People seeking more information may contact Cleary at 906-235-9390 or Ron Howard at 906-885-5851.