Home > United States of America > Iowa > Clayton County > McGregor > Norwegian Church Cemetery > Merle Edward Eggen

Merle Edward Eggen

Birth	:	14 Mar 1923 McGregor, Clayton County, Iowa, USA
Death	:	16 May 2014 Pacifica, San Mateo County, California, USA
Burial	:	Norwegian Church Cemetery, McGregor, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate	:	42.9644400, -91.1764100
Description	:	Merle Eggen March 14, 1923 -- May 16, 2014 Merle Eggen was born on March 14, 1923 to Margaret and Ernest Eggen at their farm house about eight miles from McGregor, Iowa. They had no running water or electricity. His father used a team of horses to plow and pull the wagon. He milked cows by hand. Merle did many chores like pumping water for the house, feeding the animals, and shoveling lots of manure. His mother cooked on a wood burning stove. At five years old, Merle began his education at a one room school house where all eight grades were taught.... Read More	Merle Eggen March 14, 1923 -- May 16, 2014 Merle Eggen was born on March 14, 1923 to Margaret and Ernest Eggen at their farm house about eight miles from McGregor, Iowa. They had no running water or electricity. His father used a team of horses to plow and pull the wagon. He milked cows by hand. Merle did many chores like pumping water for the house, feeding the animals, and shoveling lots of manure. His mother cooked on a wood burning stove. At five years old, Merle began his education at a one room school house where all eight grades were taught. He skipped second grade because no one else was in his class. He boarded in town with a cousin during the ninth and tenth grades. He spent summers at home helping on his farm. During the eleventh and twelfth grades, he worked at the small McGregor Hospital as a janitor and fired the boilers in exchange for his room and board. At the end of summer in August 1941, Merle joined the Navy "to see the world." America joined the world to fight World War II in December 1941. After Merle graduated from electrician's school, he was sent to Charleston, South Carolina, to a newly built destroyer, the USS Pringle. The next few years were spent in Guadalcanal, escorting invasion fleets, supporting troop landings with bombardment of islands during the invasion -- up through the Solomon Islands fighting off aircraft. Then more of the same, bombardment and supporting the troops landing at New Hebrides Islands, Marianas, Saipan, Tinian and Guam. One day Merle was standing on deck and watched a torpedo heading straight for his ship. He thought he was done for but the torpedo went under the ship without hitting it. Finally, in 1944, the USS Pringle returned to San Francisco, California, for a yard overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard and Merle took 30 days leave and was sent to oil burning school in Philadelphia. The USS Pringle sailed without him and was sunk by a Kamikaze plane off Okinawa in April 1945. There were 70 killed and 251 survivors who got together regularly after the war, including Merle. While in Philadelphia, Merle met and married his wife of 69 years, Betty. After the war, they settled in Iowa and started raising a family: son Art and daughters Ann and Eleanor. In 1955, two men were canvassing the United States for six weeks working for United Airlines recruiting men to work in their new machine shop in San Francisco. This caused excitement in many men but not in their families. When Merle asked Betty if she would like to go to California, she said, "If you are going, I'm going." Twenty days later, on Betty's 30th birthday, they sold their property and auctioned off almost everything they had. The next day they left for California. It took them five days to get here. Merle was the only recruit who took the job and made the trip that year. They lived in a duplex up the hill from the airport for nearly three months and Betty developed asthma. Every weekend they drove to different towns looking for a home and finally found the clean ocean air of Pacifica. They bought one of Andy Oddstad's houses in the Linda Mar development of the San Pedro Valley in Pacifica for $11,500. The next year, Merle and Betty joined with 110 people to sign the charter membership for Holy Cross Lutheran Church which is still open every Sunday at 11 AM. In 1983 Merle retired after 28 years with United Airlines. He and Betty were able to visit family all over the United States and even made three trips to the "old countries" of Norway and Sweden where his grandparents were born, thanks to his job at United Airlines. Merle passed away at the Linda Mar Care Center on May 16, 2014 at the age of 91. He is survived by his loving, caring wife, Betty, and their three children: Art Eggen and his wife Ellen of Pacifica, Ann Eggen of Chico and Eleanor Lindgren of Berkeley. His sisters Gertrude Everhart and Olga Corlett, and his brother Bob Eggen still live in Iowa. Merle and Betty's grand children include Julia Hall, Emily Roberts and Tim Eggen of Pacifica along with 10 other grand children, and 15 great grand children. Services will be held at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1165 Seville Drive, on Saturday, June 14, starting at 1 p.m.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Merle Edward Eggen's memorial?
Merle Edward Eggen's memorial is located at: Norwegian Church Cemetery, McGregor, Clayton County, USA.
When did Merle Edward Eggen death?
Merle Edward Eggen death on 16 May 2014 in Pacifica, San Mateo County, California, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Merle Edward Eggen's memorial?
Latitude: 42.9644400
Longitude: -91.1764100

Family Members:

Parent

Ernest Ludwig Eggen

(1881 - 1966)

Sarah Margaret Gertina Halverson Eggen

(1890 - 1945)

Siblings

Mable Ernestine Eggen

(1917 - 1917)

Olga Mae Eggen Corlett

(1932 - 2020)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Norwegian Church Cemetery
McGregor, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9644400, -91.1764100

2. First Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery
McGregor, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9718000, -91.1760000

3. Harford Cemetery
Wyalusing, Grant County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9401000, -91.1401800

4. Moody Cemetery
McGregor, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0030594, -91.1886063

5. Glenn-Glass House Cemetery
Wyalusing, Grant County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9499200, -91.1235300

6. Eastman Cemetery
McGregor, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0010000, -91.2190000

7. Buell Park Cemetery
Mendon Township, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0168226, -91.1999590

8. Saint Marys Catholic Church Cemetery
McGregor, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0213735, -91.1834632

9. Walton Cemetery
McGregor, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0216270, -91.1909350

10. Clayton Cemetery
Clayton, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9043999, -91.1641998

11. Pleasant Grove Cemetery
McGregor, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0266991, -91.1949997

12. Flint Cemetery
Bagley, Grant County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9528008, -91.0781021

13. Evergreen Cemetery
Prairie du Chien, Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0331500, -91.1301170

14. National Cemetery
National, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9536018, -91.2902985

15. Fort Crawford Cemetery
Prairie du Chien, Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0471000, -91.1474000

16. Bagley Cemetery
Bagley, Grant County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9019012, -91.0907974

17. Bridgeport Cemetery
Prairie du Chien, Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0102600, -91.0701300

18. Saint Gabriel Cemetery
Prairie du Chien, Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0584984, -91.1453018

19. Brodtville Cemetery
Wyalusing, Grant County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9532000, -91.0423000

20. Baylis Cemetery
McGregor, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0633160, -91.1959630

21. Giard Cemetery
Farmersburg, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9933014, -91.3080978

22. Knapp Cemetery
McGregor, Clayton County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0635000, -91.2213000

23. Frenchtown Cemetery
Prairie du Chien, Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0705500, -91.1516500

24. Calvary Cemetery
Prairie du Chien, Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0705500, -91.1506330