Schaaf, Mervin Arthur (1916 – 2011)

SCHAAF, GILLILAND, CHANDLER, KARSTENS

Posted By: Denise Wurner (email)
Date: 9/7/2013 at 18:14:49

Name of deceased: Mervin Arthur Schaaf

Aged: 95 yrs, 10 mo, 22 days

Residence: Elm Crest Retirement Home in Harlan, IA

Born: Jan. 24, 1916, on his Grandfather Karsten’s farm NW of Corley, IA

Died: Dec. 16, 2011, Elm Crest Retirement Home, Harlan, IA

Funeral services: Friday, Jan. 6, 2012, Trinity Lutheran Church in Avoca, IA; burial was at Graceland Cemetery in Avoca.

Survived by: Son, Doug Schaaf (spouse, Judy) of Seattle, WA; 2 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren; 1 great-great-granddaughter; son-in-law, John Gilliland of Harlan, IA; other family members and friends

Predeceased by: Parents, Arthur and Alma (nee Karstens) Schaaf; Wife, Noyon Schaaf (deceased Dec. 16, 2007), daughter, Janelle Gilliland; brother, Laverne Schaaf.

Education: no information provided

Religious affiliation: baptized and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Avoca, IA, and remained a lifelong member. Mervin served on the church council at Trinity for a number of years. In 1962, when he was president of the first Lutheran Church, he was very active in the promotion of the merger of the German and Danish congregations and the origin of the now-named Trinity Lutheran Church.

Military service: no information provided

Marriage: Noyon Nadine Chandler; Aug. 28, 1943; location not provided

Employment: operated a hog operation until he retired in 1980

Hobbies/Interests: He was a fifty-year member of the Avoca Masonic Lodge and was one of its past Masters. He was also a member of both the York and Scottish rite bodies and a member of the Tanger Shrine and the Botna Valley Shrine Clubs. He was active in the promotion of the merger of the Hancock and Avoca school districts and served on the first Board of Directors for 12 years. He was a sponsor and chaperone for 25 years to bring the second grade Hancock-Avoca school children to the Shrine Circus. Mervin served for 10 years on the East Pottawattamie County A.S.C.S. Committee and served a 3-year term on the Pottawattamie County Farmers Home Administration Board; he worked as an adjuster for the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation for 5 years. He also served a 5-year term on the first Pottawattamie County Compensation Board. He served as a director at the Avoca Golf and Country Club and was a member of the Avoca Rotary Club. He enjoyed collecting old pictures and documents and spent much of his adult life doing research on local history in the Avoca area.

Sources: ancestry.com, pauleyjones.com