Maclyn E. LARUE

LARUE, EVANS, PETERSON, PRUEITT, HALVERSON, RASMUSSEN, LEEPER, BOECK, BRECHT, DORSETH, JOHNSON, BLANCHARD, EYER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 1/5/2014 at 20:01:36

May 19, 1926 ---- January 4, 2014

Maclyn E. LaRue was born on a farm near Dows, Iowa, May 19, 1926, the son of Ernest R. and Josephine Evanda Evans LaRue. Raised in Wright County, Iowa, he graduated from Oakland Township High School, Popejoy, Iowa, in 1943. He then furthered his education at Iowa State College in Ames, Iowa, graduating with his Bachelor of Science Degree with an Agriculture Education Major in 1947. Mac began his agricultural professional career in 1947 in Sloan, Iowa, where he was the Vocational Agriculture Teacher at Sloan Community Schools. On October 7, 1948, Maclyn was united in marriage with Audrey J. Peterson in Sioux City, Iowa, and their union was blessed with five children: Annette, Claire, Janelle, Alan and Philip. They made their home in Sloan where Mac continued to teach until 1953, when the family moved to Bedford, Iowa, where Mac served as the Taylor County Extension Director from 1953 until 1961. The LaRue’s moved to Denison, Iowa, in 1961, where Mac served as Crawford County Extension Director until completing his thirty year Extension Career, retiring in 1983. Four years after moving to Denison Mac’s wife, Audrey, age 37, lost her battle to cancer on January 25, 1965, leaving Mac to raise their five young children. On April 8, 1971, Maclyn was blessed to be united in marriage with Janet L. Prueitt Halverson in Denison where they made their blended home. Following his retirement from the Extension Service Mac was elected to the Crawford County Board of Supervisors where he served for four years from 1985 through 1988. During his tenure as a supervisor he was influential in developing the Crawford County Recycling Program. Mac and Janet spent their retirement years where Mac had more time to pursue his hobbies of traveling, camping, fishing, hunting, gardening, County Fair judging, and especially enjoyed spending more time with his grandchildren. Throughout his life Mac was a very active member of his church and community. He was a longtime member of the First United Methodist Church in Denison, having been baptized at the Collegiate Methodist Church in Ames, Iowa, in 1945. He served as a Young Adult Sunday School Teacher and served on many committees including: Education Unit Final Fund Drive Chairman; Finance; Memorial Committee; Lay Leader; United Methodist Men and their chairman; Sioux City District Council of Ministries, serving as chairman; and a Sioux City District Member of Church Development Committee. While living in Bedford, Iowa, he was a member of the Bedford Lions Club and Jay Cees. In Denison he was a 52 year member of the Sylvan Lodge No. 507, A.F. & A.M., serving as Master three different terms and as their treasurer; Denison Kiwanis Club having received their George F. Hixen Fellowship Award in December of 2013; Denison Golden K Club and a past president; Midwestern College Board of Directors; WESCO Board Member and secretary for four years; four year member of the Elderbridge Agency on Aging and Chairman of the Board; Epsilon Sigma Phi Fraternity for 25 years; Iowa State University Extension Association for 30 years and their treasurer; was active in the American Cancer Society having served as State Crusade Chairman, State Board Member, County Crusade Chairman for 40 years and was their Memorial Chairman; and was an honorary member of 4-H in Crawford County being active in securing donors for the state 4-H foundation and the state 4-H camping center having especially enjoyed the 4-H camps through the years. Mac was well respected in his Extension Service Career receiving the R.K. Bliss Extension Citation in 1971, the first year it was offered, as an outstanding extension educator and also received the distinguished service award from the National Association of County Agricultural Agents. During his tenure in Crawford County, Mac helped organize the West Iowa Dairy Herd Improvement Association, Crawford County Pork Producers, Crawford County Cattleman’s Association and the West Central Iowa Feeder Calf Producers. One of Mac’s outstanding Extension accomplishments had been maintaining a strong Farm and Home Management program which he began in Taylor County under a Kellogg Grant teaching management concepts to over 400 farm families on a one to one basis. His accomplishments in the agriculture and Extension fields will be long remembered.

Maclyn died Saturday afternoon, January 4, 2014 at Eventide Lutheran Home in Denison, Iowa. At the time of his death he had been blessed with 87 years, 7 months and 15 days. Including his parents, Ernest and Josephine LaRue and his first wife, Audrey LaRue, Maclyn was also preceded in death by one sister, Mary Lou Rasmussen and one grandson, Phillip Leeper. Those remaining to cherish his memory include his wife of over 42 years, Janet LaRue of Denison, Iowa; five children: Annette and husband Larry Boeck of Denison, Iowa, Claire and husband Robert Brecht of Gilbert, Iowa, Janelle LaRue of Vancouver, Washington, Alan LaRue and wife Diane of San Diego, California and Philip LaRue and friend Gaylene of Tipton, Iowa; two step-children: Dr. Gregory Halverson and wife Cathy of Ames, Iowa, and Sheryl Dorseth of Clear Lake, Iowa, 13 grandchildren; 19 great grandchildren; two sisters: Betty Jean Johnson of Iowa Falls, Iowa, and Joann and husband Lee Blanchard of Nevada, Iowa; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Carl Rasmussen of Nevada, Iowa, Shirley Eyer of Sloan, Iowa, Keith and Lynn Prueitt of Bella Vista, Arkansas and Fran Prueitt of Woodward, Iowa, other relatives and friends.

VISITATION:
From 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., Friday, January 10, 2014, at Pfannebecker Funeral Home, Denison, Iowa.

MASONIC SERVICE:
7:00 P.M., Friday, January 10, 2014 at Pfannebecker Funeral Home, Denison, Iowa.

FUNERAL SERVICE:
10:30 A.M., Saturday, January 11, 2014, at First United Methodist Church, 113 South 14th Street, Denison, Iowa.

GRAVESIDE SERVICE AND INTERMENT:
3:00 p.m., Saturday, January 11, 2014, at Fairview Township Cemetery, Albaton Community of Sloan, Iowa.

MEMORIALS TO:
First United Methodist Church, 113 S. 14th Street, Denison, IA. 51442.

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