George B Dennis

George was born September 24, 1920, in MacBeth, S.C. He was the tenth of fourteen children born to Walter and Belle Thornley Dennis.

He passed away on August 15, 2015. He was a member of Rehoboth Methodist Church in Bonneau.

George is survived by Ruth, his wife of 69 years, his little sister Dolly Jean Wells of Columbia, SC; his daughters GJordene Yslas of Barstow, CA, and Carolyn Budd (husband Wayne) of Bonneau; son, George, Jr. (wife Kelly) of Victorville, CA; nine grandchildren; seventeen great grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by twelve of his brothers and sisters, and his son-in-law Frank Yslas of Barstow, CA.

He attended Berkeley High School in Moncks Corner. George was truly a member of the “Greatest Generation”, joining the U.S. Navy in 1940 and assigned to the first crew at commissioning aboard the USS Washington (BB-56) where he was Fire Control on the 16” guns. The USS Washington fought in the North Atlantic protecting convoys to Russia against the German Navy and in the South Pacific against the Japanese with battles at Guadacanal, Saipan, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The USS Washington sank more combat tonnage than any other US ship in WWII.

He was discharged in San Francisco, CA, in 1946 where he met and married Ruth Barden. They returned to Bonneau, SC, but with Job prospects poor, in December of 1947, they returned to California. His first job back in California was as a mason where he helped build the first ever “McDonald’s” on E Street in San Bernardino, CA. In 1949 he moved on to Barstow, CA, after becoming a Firefighter at Fort Irwin, CA, and retired as Fire Chief in 1981. In Barstow he was a life member of BPOE #1920, a member of the First Congregational Church and active with Boy Scout troop #68 from 1960 through 1975. He returned to Bonneau, SC in 1982, where he was a life member of VFW Post #9509 and a 34 year member of The American Legion Post #1026.

A memorial service in Mr. Dennis' honor will be held at Russell Funeral Chapel, Saturday morning, September 12, 2015, at 11 o'clock. Committal with military honors will follow in Rehoboth United Methodist Church Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to Rehoboth United Methodist Church,c/o Denise White, 1045 Trotters Blvd, Summerville, S.C.,or to Post 9509 VFW, 1142 S. Live Oak Drive, Moncks Corner, S.C. 29461.