Obituary: Ralph Herman 'Beetsie' Jedamsky

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Ralph Herman "Beetsie" Jedamsky, 79, of Murphysboro, passed away at 4:02 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011, at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital in Murphysboro.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, 2011, at Pettett Funeral Home with Rev. Scott Kelley officiating and burial at Tower Grove Cemetery with military services conducted by the American Legion Post No. 127, V.F.W. Post No. 7190 and 2605 and the Jackson County D.A.V. Chapter No. 69. Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday and until 11 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to VNA Tip Hospice.

Ralph was born on July 22, 1932, in Saginaw, Mich. to Ralph Jedamsky and Bertha Ruth (Casey) Jedamsky Crane.

He served in the Wolf Hounds, a special operations unit in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict and he was a recipient of the Purple Heart.

Ralph had worked as a courier and a transport driver.

Mr. Jedamsky was a member of the Crain Baptist Church at Ava, a lifetime member of the V.F.W. Post No. 7190 and a member of the Jackson County D.A.V. Chapter No. 69.

He was married to Kathryn (Pate) Hanson, who survives of Murphysboro; and other survivors include his stepchildren, who considered him "Pop," Marsha Gottlieb and her husband Randy Gottlieb of Murphysboro, Donna Conder and her husband Don Conder of Waller, Texas and Angela Greenrod and her husband Greg Greenrod of DeSoto.

He was blessed with 11 grandchildren, Heidi, Jason, Jamie, Craig, Hannah, Kevin, Lora, Kelly, Jennifer, Don and Jeremiah; and 12 great-grandchildren.

He is also survived by two sisters, Pat Whitecotton and her husband Carl Whitecotton of Peoria and Loretta Oxford of Harrisburg.

He was preceded in death by one brother and his parents.