Graveside services Thursday for Joplin soldier killed in Afghanistan

(The following obituary information is taken from the Parker Mortuary website.)

Staff Sgt. Edward Fred Dixon III, age 37, of the United States Army was born Jan. 26, 1974, in Joplin, Mo., and passed away on June 18, 2011, in the Uruzgan Province in Afghanistan. He succumbed to injuries suffered while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.


Staff Sgt. Dixon enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1992, and later transferred over to the United States Army. He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment and the 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Baumholder, Germany.

He is survived by his wife, Jana Dixon and their two children, Oliver Dixon, age 8 and Brianna Dixon, age 7; and his son, Justin Dixon, age 17 from a previous marriage.

He is the son of Edward Fred Dixon Jr. and Monica Annette Dixon and the brother of Carla Dawn Gilstrap. An older sister, Misty Dawn preceded him in death in 1973.

Graveside services will be Thursday, June 30, at 1 p.m. in Mount Hope Cemetery with full military honors.

The family request that in place of flowers, donations be made to the USO in care of www.uso.org/donate

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Parker Mortuary.