Pence, Melvin E. 1922-1991

PENCE, WHEAT, SMITH, STOVER

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 7/11/2007 at 19:23:39

Melvin E. Pence

The services for Melvin E. Pence Sr., 68 of 105 S.2nd Ave. W., a resident of Newton since 1984, were held this morning, Sept. 9, at Wallace-Pence Funeral Home.

The Revs. Phil and Louie Reiman, pastors of the Ivester Church, assisted by the Rev. Eldon Pals of newton, a Baptist pastor, conduct services. Burial was in the Ivester-Sheller Cemetery in rural Grundy Center.

Visitation with the family was held Sunday at the funeral home.

Memorials to Hospice of Jasper County will be accepted.

He died Saturday morning at Careage of Newton of heart failure.

Survivors are his wife, Dora; five sons, George H. of Wellington, West Palm Beach, Fla., Melvin E. Jr. of Lenox, David L. of Earlville, Levi E. of Newton and Alex W. of Nevada; 10 grandchildren; and a brother, Howard of Conrad.

He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, Kenneth, Lawrence and Harvey, and a sister, Georgia Wheat.

Mr. Pence, a Navy gunner's mate on an LST during World War II, saw action in the South Pacific from 1943 to 1945, being discharged as a fireman first class.

Following his military service he was engaged in farming and became a salesman for 35 years. From 1976 to 1983 he and his wife delivered motorhomes to dealers nationwide for Winnebago, retiring in 1983.

He was a member of the Ivester Church of the brethren in rural Grundy County and was a member of the Newton Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1655 and Moose Lodge 923 in Newton.

The son of George C. and Nora Mae Smith Pence, he was born November 1, 1922 in Liberty, Ill. and attended rural schools in Grundy County and Whitton High School.

He was married to Dora Marie Stover Aug. 26, 1942 in the Stover home in rural Grundy County.

Mr. Pence at an early age had resided in Waterloo and later the family moved to the Whitton and Ivester areas. ~ The Newton (IA) Daily News, August 1991