July 30, 2004

Oroville Mercury Register March 10, 1943 and May 9, 1945

LIEUTENANT ROBERT TIECK INSTRUCTOR AT CHICO
Lieut. Robert Tieck, son of Mr. and Mrs. M. C. Tieck, received his wings last Wednesday at Mather Field and is now an instructor at Chico Flying School. Tieck’s parents were in Sacramento to see him receive his wings, after which the Lieutenant and his wife returned here with them and visited Thursday in the Foothill district. Tieck was one of four men selected from the 81 graduates, to be stationed at Chico.

“Some Gave All”
Military Rites To Be Held For Lt. R. H. Tieck
Full Military funeral services for Lt. Robert H. Tieck, 27, who was killed in a bomber crash near March Field, Riverside, will be conducted by the Chico Army Air Field Saturday at 2 p. m. at the W. M Thomas Funeral Home here. Lt. Tieck had been a CAAF instructor for more than a year beginning in March, 1943. Son of Mr. and Mrs. M. C. Tieck of Foothill District, Lt. Tieck was the pilot of an eight-man crew, all of whom died in the flaming wreckage of the huge four-motored bomber that crashed at 4 p. m. May 4. The plane, stationed at March Field, was on a combat training flight when it fell eight miles northwest of its base, according to field authorities. The crash and resultant tower of smoke and flame drew the attention of many motorists and residents of nearby areas. Dry brush was set afire, the flames sweeping over an estimated 65 acres before they were brought under control. Lt. Tieck’s wife, the former Stella Mae Mumpower of Twin Falls Idaho, has arrived in Oroville and will make her home here. She had been living near March Field. The couple were married six years ago in Colorado. They had met in Colorado Springs where Lt. Tieck was engaged in the hotel business in 1939. Lt. Tieck was born April 22, 1918 in Denver Colorado. The family moved to Oroville in 1930. He graduated from the local high school in 1936 and enlisted in the air corps in January, 1941. He began cadet training in July, 1942 and received his commission March 3, 1943. He was stationed at Chico Army Air Field as an instructor immediately after. Later he was transferred to Tucson, Ariz. And then to Albuquerque, N. M., before he was sent to March Field. The funeral services will be followed by cremation at Sierra View Marysville.

V-E Day Draws Crowd to Church
The Attendance at the V-E Day service in the Congregational Church, held last night a 8 o’clock, was representative of the thanksgiving felt by the community. Only about half of the group were regular church-goers, it was said, but all felt the need of giving thanks for the ending of hostilities in the European area. The organ chimes played by Miss Pati Randolph were broadcast from the church tower for a short program preceding the meeting. Dr. Henry Mills, speaker of the evening, closed his remarks by quoting from Kipling’s “Recessional,” emphasizing the thought “Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, lest we forget.” Other ministers of the city took part in the short program of prayer, responsive reading and music.

Stu’s notes:
This is about all I know of Robert Tieck. Someone did give me a news clipping, O. M. R. November 3, 1966 about his parents 50^th wedding anniversary. They celebrated while still living in Oroville. Cecil and Irma Tieck were their names. The story tells about how they fell in love, and then later fell in love with Oroville and moved here to a new home and orange orchard in 1930. In 1932 the trees all froze and in 1934 their house burned down. But they stayed on, they rebuilt their house and replanted their orchard. Cecil, besides working in the Orange Orchard, worked for the county, opened a jewelry store, Tieck’s Time Shop, which he sold in 1948 to retire. Irma was also very busy, planning picnics for new comers to Garden Ranch, was active in the Monday Club of Oroville and Butte County Chapter of Gold Star Mothers of America. This group was made up of mothers who had lost their sons in the war. Irma also wrote the ‘Foothill News’ for the Oroville Mercury Register. First Lt. Robert H. Tieck was their only child. Some might ask why I wrote so much about the parents of Robert. Well he gave his life for our country, they gave their only son. Although he didn’t make it to war he gave so much. How many lives did he save in training all those young Airmen? Only God knows. We had a blue star in our window, to represent a service man or women over Sea’s in a war. Sad, but some houses during WWII had more than one star in their window.