James Gordon SAWTELLE

SAWTELLE, CHRISTENSEN, DOHLMAN, LEVI

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 7/8/2010 at 10:47:18

December 15, 2000
Belmond Independent - Iowa

JAMES GORDON SAWTELLE

James G. Sawtelle, 80, of Klemme, died Dec. 14 at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. Services will be held Dec. 18 at 10:30 a.m. at the Klemme United Methodist Church with burial in Ell Township Cemetery. Visitation will be Dec. 13 at Tenold Funeral Home in Klemme from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. and at the church one hour prior to the service.

**************************
J. Gordon Sawtelle, 80, died Thursday, December 14, 2000 at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines. Funeral services were held at the United Methodist Church, Klemme on Monday, December 18, 2000 with Pastors Curtis DeVance and Lane Riggle officiating. Burial was in Ell Township Cemetery, Klemme. Music was provided by Madelyn Priebe, organist. Ushers were Calvin Bruggeman and Raymond Schoenwetter. Casketbearers were Dean Stromer, Daniel Stromer, William Stromer, Mark Paca, Tim Christians, Randy Nannenga.

James, the son of Edwin and Dagmar (Christensen) Sawtelle was born September 9, 1920, in Latimer and was raised there until he attended the University of Northern Iowa. He served four years in the US Army Air Corps during WWII. He married Mabel Dohlman on January 27, 1945, in Santa Rosa, CA and returned to Iowa following completion of his military service. They moved to Klemme in 1955, where he and his family owned and operated a grocery store, Sawtelle's Superette, for thirty-three years. Mr. Sawtelle was actively involved in the Klemme community for many years. He served as a member of the Klemme City Council, as a lay leader for the Klemme United Methodist Church, and as a member of the Klemme Volunteer Fire Department for more than twenty years. He was also active in the Klemme Area Development Organization, and was a past-president of North Iowa Area Development. He was one of the founders of the Slippery Elm Golf Course in Klemme, as well as the annual Klemme Ag Days celebration. He was also an avid outdoorsman and conservationist. After Mabel died in 1994, Gordon continued to live in Klemme, until two years ago when he became a resident of West Des Moines.

Preceding him in death were his parents, wife, Mabel, daughter, Beverly, grandson, Tristan, two brothers, Quentin and Warren. Survivors include his daughter, Jeri Levi and her husband, Rick of Waukee; his son, Jim Sawtelle and his wife, Mindy of Johnston; two grandchildren, Anna Lisa Sawtelle and Caroline Mabel Sawtelle.