Merle Monroe Savage 1940 - 2014

SAVAGE CHRISTENSEN, PEARSON

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 4/26/2014 at 21:05:21

Sioux City Journal
26 April 2014

ONAWA, Iowa | Merle Monroe Savage, 74, of Onawa died Thursday, April 24, 2014, at his residence.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday at Faith Lutheran Church in Onawa, with the Rev. Joel Gueningsman officiating. Burial will be in Onawa Cemetery, with military rites provided by the U.S. Army, American Legion David McNeill Post 129 of Onawa, and Monona County VFW Post 2694.

Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, with a prayer service at 7 p.m., at Rush Family Care Service in Onawa. Condolences may be left on line for the family at www.rushfamilycareservice.com.

Merle Monroe Savage was born on Jan. 13, 1940, to Rev. Guy and Etta (Christensen) Savage, in the parsonage in rural Crofton, Neb. Being the son of an Evangelical Church pastor meant moving to various places in Nebraska while growing up. Those included Cambridge 1940 to 1941, country churches in Rosedale (Doniphan) 1941 to 1944, St. Michael (Ravenna) 1944 to 1946, Morning Star (Callaway) 1946 to 1952, and Sutton 1952 to 1958.

Merle began grade school while at Morning Star, walking one mile to a one room school, Fairview. He had one girl for a classmate for the six years he attended. He then went to Sutton Elementary and High School, graduating in 1958. Following graduation, he attended Milford Technical College in Milford, Neb., before enlisting in the U.S. Army. He served from 1961 to 1964 and was stationed in several bases in the United States being trained as a missile repairman. He also served in Korea.

Growing up, he was involved in 4-H Club, Boy Scouts, church activities, summer church camp, and band, playing the trumpet. Merle had a paper route for several years in Sutton and worked for various farmers while he was growing up. His friend and companion during St. Michael and Morning Star years was the family dog, Scotty.

He married Joyce Pearson in 1967. Two sons, John and James, were born to this union.

For 11 years while his boys were young, Merle was involved with the Boy Scouts of America and Eagle Scouts and served as Scout Master for three years. He helped sponsor many camping trips which he enjoyed so very much. And he was an avid collector of Boy Scout memorabilia as well as a stamp collector.

He married June Riddle on Oct. 15, 1999. They enjoyed a mutually supportive and fulfilling relationship, traveling, antiquing, and doing many other activities together during the wonderful years of their marriage.

In addition to his training listed above, Merle took electronic course work from the National Radio Institute, DeVry College, Metro Tech Community College in Omaha, and Southeast Community College, in Milford, Neb. After his time in the service, Merle worked for B-D’s in Columbus, Neb. sharpening needles for injections, then for Simplex Time Recorder Company in Omaha and Des Moines for 33 years. After he moved to Sioux City, he worked for Menard's, and then Lowe's until he retired very shortly after June in 2006.

Survivors include his wife, June; two sons, John Savage and James (Elizabeth) Savage, both of Omaha; two stepsons, John (Betty) Riddle of Onawa, and Mark (Tonya) Riddle of Castana, Iowa; two stepdaughters, Jane (Rob) Rumhor of Fargo, N.D., and Lora Riddle of Sioux City; two sisters, Shirley (Layen) Adelmann of West Milford, N.J., and Marcia (LaVerne) Koelling of Thornton, Colo.; one brother, Richard (Joy) Savage of Estes Park, Colo. (currently residing in Dakota City); sister-in-law, Dorothy (Mrs. Lawrence) Gust of Mapleton, Iowa; grandchildren, Claire Savage, Marissa Savage, Rachel Johnson, Abby Arens, Lauren Splitter, Curt Riddle, Matthew Riddle, Kate Davis, Joel Rumohr, and Annie Clark; 11 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Merle was preceded in death by his parents, Guy and Etta Savage.