Slagell, Walter Warren (1923-2010)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2010 Oct 11 p. 9

Birth date: 1923 Apr 1

text of obituary:

WALTER WARREN SLAGELL

Walter Warren Slagell, 87, of Hydro, Okla., died Sept. 8, 2010. He was born April 1, 1923, to John and Alice (Schantz) Slagell of Hydro.

As a youth he accepted Christ, was baptized and joined Pleasant View Mennonite Church.

At age 18 he worked for Joni Yoder farming with horse-drawn equipment, and at 85 years of age he operated a tractor with air conditioning that steered itself. During World War II he was drafted and spent his term of Civilian Public Service at Three Rivers, Calif., and Veterans TB Hospital in Livermore, Calif.

He married Ida Fern Hartzler on May 2, 1948, at West Liberty Mennonite Church near Windom, Kan.

He purchased wheat harvesting equipment, and six weeks later left with his new bride and five younger brothers and cousins to follow the harvest from Oklahoma to Montana. He always looked forward to wheat harvest, even driving combine this past harvest.

He worked full time with his brothers farming, custom hay baling, custom silage chopping and operating earth-moving equipment. He served many years on the Hydro Coop board of directors and numerous committees at church and had a special love for the Bible Memory Program.

Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Ida Fern Slagell; two sons, Virgil Slagell and his wife, Meribeth, of Hydro and Dennis Slagell and his wife, Candace, of Weatherford; two daughters, Carolene Jackson and her husband, Bill, of Weatherford and Loretta Propps and her husband, Mike, of Hydro; a sister, Mildred Slagell of Hydro; two brothers, Harold Slagell and his wife, Ella, and Chester Slagell and his wife, Ruth, all of Weatherford; 12 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Maurice; and a sister, Doris.

Funeral services were held at Pleasant View Mennonite Church of Hydro. Burial was in Pleasant View Mennonite Cemetery.