Joe W. Oppelt passed away on April 2, 2018 at the Samaritan Village in Hughson, CA. He was 97 years old. Joe was born on February 6, 1921 in Devine, TX. His early years were spent growing up in San Antonio, TX but he called Turlock, CA his home for more than 50 years. On February 19, 1958, Joe married the love of his life, Maxine Lavonne Myers in Mi-Wuk Village, CA. Joe served proudly for over 20 years in the United States Army, serving in both WWII as a Master Sergeant and then later in the Korean War, where he earned numerous medals of honor for his valor.