Farghum, Elmer Maynard 1926 - 2016
FARGHUM, ARMSTRONG, WENTWORTH, WALKER, FULLER, KRAFT, MCMASTER, WHITMIRE, WALTON, TUPY, SLIFKA
Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 8/27/2016 at 16:30:48
Elmer M. Farghum, 89, of Mason City, IA, died Sunday, August 21, 2016, at the IOOF Home. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, August 27, 2016, at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, with Chaplain Dave Byrd of the IOOF Home officiating. Visitation will be from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM on Saturday at Major Erickson Funeral Home. Interment will take place in Oak Lawn Cemetery – Cresco, IA at 1:00 PM on Monday, August 29, 2016. Memorials may be directed to Hospice of North Iowa, 232 2nd Street S.E., Mason City, IA 50401, Humane Society of North Iowa, 2700 S. Birch Drive, Mason City, IA 50401, or the North Iowa Garden Club, P.O. Box 122, Mason City, IA 50401.
Elmer Maynard Farghum, the son of James C. and Maude Belle (Armstrong) Farghum, was born October 29, 1926, at home in Ridgeway, IA. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Church. With no kindergarten, he attended Ridgeway Public School for 12 years, graduating in May of 1944. While in high school he lettered in basketball and baseball and played 6-man football. He also took up the saxophone the last 2 years.
Elmer began working at Fosse Produce during the evenings and over the weekends to help his family. When he received his original draft notice he was deferred to help take care of his ailing father. However in the fall of 1946, he joined the U.S. Navy. They originally taught him to be an electrician, but in 1947, as a Seabee he was sent to Guam where he was in heavy construction. He was honorably discharged in July of 1948.
Upon returning home he began working for Aga/Hellem Station and Garage where he learned his mechanics. He then became manager of the Coryell Station in Cresco. In 1962, he moved to Mason City and began working for S&R Chevrolet which later was sold and became Schukei Chevrolet. He retired from there.
Elmer was united in marriage to his sweetheart, Betty Jean Wentworth on August 6, 1948, at the Baptist Church in Cresco. This union was blessed with two sons: James and Terry.
Elmer was an avid bowler with over fifty 700 series to his credits along with many trophies and awards. He was on numerous local leagues throughout the years as well as tournaments all across the country. In 1976, he was on the Iowa State Bowling Championship team and in 1978 was inducted into the Mason City Bowling Association Hall of Fame and in 1988 was named Globe Gazette Bowler of the Year.
Spring and summertime for Elmer was all about roses and gardening. Fall and winter was for the Vikings, a little woodworking and reading all about the Civil War, our Presidents and Louis L’Amour Westerns.
Living family members include his wife of 68 years: Betty Farghum of Mason City; 2 sons: James Farghum and wife Barbara of Mason City and Terry Farghum and wife Colleen of Katy, TX; 3 grandsons: Christopher Farghum and wife Holly of Mason City, Nicholas Farghum and wife Kayla of Everly, IA, and Matthew Farghum of Beverly Hills, CA; 4 great grandchildren: Emma and Ava Farghum of Mason City and Payton and Sutton Farghum of Everly; 2 sisters-in-law: Hazel Walker and husband William of Cresco and Helen Fuller of Waterloo, IA; 2 brothers-in-law: Roger Wentworth and wife Lorrine of Cresco and F. Gene Wentworth of Muscatine, IA; and special friend: Dale Schmitz of Basset, IA. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; 6 siblings: Eva Kraft and husband Clarence, Clarence Farghum and wife Pearl, Anna Pearl McMaster and husband Robert, Florence Whitmire and husband Orville, Spencer Farghum and Elmer Farghum (November 1920 – September 1926); brother and sisters-in-law: Floyd Wentworth and wife Alma, Mary Walton and husband Robert, Eleanor Tupy and husband Daniel and Dorothy Slifka; and his mother and father-in-law: Arthur and Lydia Wentworth.
Source: Major Erickson Funeral Home database
Oak Lawn Cemetery
Howard Obituaries maintained by Constance McDaniel Hall.
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