Merryl Emerson MacNAUGHTON

MACNAUGHTON, SCHOONOVER, LITSCHKE, STENSTROM, ARMBRUSTER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 7/9/2017 at 01:58:58

October 2, 1898 --- January 18, 1988

Merryl Emerson MacNaughton, the son of Dr. Luther D. and Clarice M. MacNaughton, was born October 2, 1898 in Eagle Grove, Iowa. After spending his childhood years in Eagle Grove, his mother moved him and his sister to Denver, Colo. Upon completion of his secondary education in Denver, he joined the Army in 1917. He served with the 115th Engineers in France until being gassed in a tunnel which they were repairing. After World War I, he returned to the states and was discharged in 1919. During the next several years he attended Grinnell College and a business school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

In 1924 he married Aeline Bernice Schoonover of Eagle Grove. His first occupation was the leasing of a Cities Service gas station on West Broadway. He later purchased the Mobile station on North Commercial. He ran that station until 1951 with generous support from the community.

Merryl was an active supporter of many community organizations: Chamber of Commerce (pres.), Country Club (pres.), Rotary Club (treasurer for 17 years), Eagle Grove School Board, March of Dimes, American Legion (adjutant), Fire Department and helped raise funds for the building of the Rotary Ann facilities. In the late summer of 1951 Merryl moved his family to Des Moines where he worked for the Mobile Oil Co. and sold insurance for the Federated Mutual Ins. Co. of Owatonna, Minn. In 1955, they returned to Eagle Grove and resided on West Broadway. During the prime of his life, Merryl worked for many local businesses in sales and accounting areas.

He died Monday, January 18, 1988 at Trinity Regional Hospital, Fort Dodge, Iowa, at the age of 89 years. Survivors include his wife, Aeline; daughters, Mrs. Jerry (Sara Lee) Litschke of St. Paul, Minn., and Mrs. Robert (Dona Fae) Stenstrom of Gulf Breeze, Fla.; sons, William (Bill) of Des Moines and Luther of Omaha, Neb.; a sister, Laura Armbruster of Annapolis, Md.; 12 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Graveside services for Merryl Emerson MacNaughton, Eagle Grove, were held at Rose Hill Cemetery, Eagle Grove, at 2 p.m. on Thursday, January 21,1988 with the Rev. Kenneth Reiter of the United Church of Christ officiating.

EAGLE GROVE EAGLE -- Eagle Grove, Iowa
January 27, 1988

Source --- Paul Wilde