More detail on this person: Bernd Joseph Kula AL United States Bernd "Ben" Joseph Kula of Arrowhead Drive, Enterprise, passed away early Sunday morning, Sept. 11, 2005, at the Southeast Alabama Medical Center in Dothan after fighting a courageous battle with leukemia. He was 57. Funeral services will be 11 a.m. today, Sept. 13, from the Patterson-Sorrells Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Robert Fox officiating. Burial will follow in the Enterprise City Cemetery. Mr. Kula was born Oct. 13, 1947 in Neumuenster, Germany, to Thomas T. Kula and Inge Yadon. One of Ben's proudest moments was when he became a U.S. citizen in November 1958. He joined the Army in July 1966 and served two tours in Vietnam. During his seven years of active duty, he received numerous awards for meritorious service. Upon resigning from active duty, he joined the medical evacuation unit with the Alabama National Guard where he served for 18 years before retiring. Mr. Kula served as an instructor pilot for five years, a flight commander and later as an MOI instructor until 1998, then as an academic instructor for rotary wing courses at Fort Rucker. He was an assistant director of academics with Lear Siegler Services until the time of his death. He was active with Tri-County High School Athletic Association as a football official and was a member of the Gold Wing Riders Association in Dothan. He was preceded in death by his father and by a sister, Cynthia Benedict Messenger. Survivors include his wife, Rita Allen Kula of Enterprise; his mother, Inge Yadon of Gantt; a brother, Tom Kula (Patricia) of Miami Lakes, Fla.; a niece, Andrea Gorgal of Miami Lakes, Fla.; three nephews, Joe David Phillips and William Robert "Billy" Phillips, both of Chancellor, and Luis Kula of Miami Lakes, Fla.; and a sister, Karen Benedict McGuire (Joe) of Boystown, Neb.
Burial information: Enterprise City Cemetery, Enterprise, AL
This information was last updated 02/12/2019
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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