John H. Pugel, formerly of Girard, along with members of his family and friends gathered to celebrate his 100th birthday Dec. 15 in Amherst.
Pugel was born Dec 20, 1912, in Gannett, Idaho, one of seven children of parents Mary Puhalla of Youngstown and John M. Pugel. At an early age, he and his family returned to the area.
Pugel joined the U.S. Army during World War II, and was a member of the military police assigned to the Persian Gulf Command in what is now modern day Iran. After being honorably discharged, he married Hermina M. Perechlin in 1946, and they resided in Girard and Youngstown.
He was employed by Republic Steel Corporation, Truscon Division, during which time he built his own home in the Avon Park district.
Pugel is the father of two children, Brenda Joyce Kovach of Amherst and John Thomas of Girard.
Retiring in 1985, he moved to Amherst in 2005.
He is a lifetime member of both the Concordia Lutheran Church in Youngstown and the SNPJ Lodge 643 of Girard.