Joseph Harrell Tervooren was born on December 31, 1923, in Brown County, Texas. He was the son of Joseph Edward (Joe) Tervooren and Florence Inez Seward Tervooren. He was married to Bennie Mae Pelts Tervooren. He graduated from Cache High School in 1941 and enlisted in the U.S. Army the following year. During his military service, he served with distinction in France, Germany, and Belgium. He served in the United States Army with the 740th Tank Battalion in World War II. Known as the “Daredevil Tankers”, the 740th was a separate battalion that fought from Utah Beach all the way to the Baltic Sea in support of various divisions of the US war effort.

Following the war, he worked as a mechanic in Brownwood before becoming a vegetable farmer. In the mid-1960s, he began working for 3M in mechanical maintenance, where he remained until his retirement. Harrell was also an accomplished string musician who traveled extensively throughout his career. His contributions to Western Swing music earned him recognition in at least one Western Swing Hall of Fame. He died on June 15, 2002, and is now buried in the Rocky Creek Cemetery, Brownwood, Brown County, Texas, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com