Janice Morse reports:
Citizens may pay their respects by turning out for the visitation, services or funeral procession for a fallen local soldier – a gesture that would be meaningful for the family of Army Sgt. 1st Class Bobby Lee Estle, said Funeral Director Mike Kilburn.
“By seeing that our citizens respected his commitment to the country, and gave his all – he lost his life serving us – I’m sure that would be very, very touching to the family,” Kilburn said Friday.
Sgt. Estle, a 38-year-old married father of three, was killed in action while serving in Afghanistan last weekend – his fourth foreign tour of duty, Kilburn said. Sgt. Estle died less than two weeks before he was scheduled to travel home for a visit with his family, relatives said. After a final stint in Afghanistan, he was expected to go to Mississippi to become a drill sergeant.
Escorted by police and the Patriot Guard group, funeral officials will travel to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, on Sunday to receive Sgt. Estle’s body.
At 3 p.m. Monday, a procession will leave Stine Kilburn Funeral Home, 801 Monroe Road, and head for Cornerstone Church of God, 1004 Columbus Ave., where public visitation will be 5 to 8 p.m. Monday.
At 10 a.m. Tuesday, a procession will leave the funeral home and head for the church for 11 a.m. services, followed by the final procession to Deerfield Cemetery, South Lebanon.
In his honor, Warren County commissioners had ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at all county buildings until he is laid to rest.
Sgt. Estle’s survivors include his wife, Monica, a 12-year-old daughter, and two sons, ages 19 and 20.
Estle was assigned to the 630th Engineer Co., 7th Engineer Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade out of Fort Drum, N.Y.
