Merle Arvid Negaard

Mel’s life is amazingly rich, not because of great wealth, which eludes most of us; but because of what he drew from his life experiences. He was born into a humble farm family in South Dakota on September 25, 1922. He was 7 years old when the stock market crashed. The next few formative years were times when family farms were lost, money was scarce and on top of that, the drought of the early 30’s raised real concerns of survival. He graduated from High School in Sisseton, South Dakota in 1940. The threat of war was on everyone’s minds. There was little work in South Dakota. In 1941 Mel went to California to find work in the aircraft factories with a few other young men. Eventually he was drafted into the US Army and served in the infantry in the Philippines. They were trained and poised to invade Japan when the A-bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima ended the war. He was assigned to General Douglas MacArthur’s Honor Guard in the occupation of Japan until he was honorably discharged from the Army in 1946 at Fort Lewis, Washington.

He returned to South Dakota to do some farming. He married Ann Opsal in 1949. Later, he moved to Independence, Missouri where he worked at Bendix Corporation and other companies. He was one of the first Negaard family members to join the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. His first marriage ended in divorce in 1957. He married Alice Ellis in 1959 in Albuquerque, New Mexico and helped to raise her two teenage boys, Terry and Brian. They moved to Torrance, California where Mel worked as a government inspector on projects such as the Saturn second stage rocket. His second marriage also ended in divorce in 1969.

He moved to Texas to work on “Swing-Wing” retrofit of the FB111 Fighter Aircraft. When that task was done he moved to Seattle and worked at the Boeing plant as an inspector for the Air Force Procurement Office . He married Lori Bair on December 20, 1973, who had three sons. The eldest, Ted Bair was married and on his own. Jerry was in the Navy Seals in Vietnam and Dennis was finishing high school.

Mel retired from Federal Civil Service in 1984 and moved to California in 1986, the land of warmth and sunshine --- a paradise deserving much praise and a source of joy for his retirement years. He lived in Oceanside, California at the Lamplighter Mobile Home Park until his death September 17, 2010. He died at the Rancho Vista Nursing Care Facility in Vista, California.

He was a poet. His first poem was written in 1997, inspired by the death of a favorite brother-in-law, Joe Hyatt. That poem opened an unknown floodgate of creative energy that expressed love and caring for his family and friends. It expanded to include commentary on current events and to pose questions and answers on our political, spiritual, technical, sexual and playful state of being.

His poetry spans the carefree independence of a child going skinny-dipping with his brothers in a river in Minnesota, to an infantryman carrying a Browning Automatic Rifle chasing Yamashita’s army in retreat in the Philippines. It covers the honor of guarding one of America’s most famous Generals in the victory over Japan to working on a team that put man on the moon; Mel has lived a unique life rich in experience. He has overcome adversity and reflects joy in his poetry.

It is impossible to express in words the loss his family and friends feel at his passing. He will be greatly missed.

Merle Arvid Negaard

Age 87

Place of birth: Sisseton, South Dakota

Date of birth: September 25, 1922

Date of death: September 17, 2010

City and State of Death: Vista, California

Spouse's Name: Lori M Negaard

Step-Sons / Daughters-in-law:

Ted D Bair / Jane Bair (both deceased)

Jerry L Bair / Sandra Bair

Dennis L Bair / Cara Bair

Number of Grandchildren: 9

Number of Great-Grandchildren: 9

Number of Great-Great-Grandchildren: 0

Father: Raymond Negaard, Sr. Born August 8, 1891 in Minnesota

Mother: Myrtle Pederson Born March 21, 1896 in Wisconsin

Siblings / Spouses:

Siblings Preceding Merle in Death:

Raymond Negaard, Jr. / Winnie Negaard (surviving)

Olaf Negaard

Nolan D Negaard / Lola Negaard (surviving)

Myrna R Maas / Roy Maas (surviving)

Janice F Clevenger / Samuel Clevenger (surviving)

Surviving Siblings:

Donald Negaard / Lila Negaard (deceased)

Leland D Negaard / Sadi Negaard

Gene E Negaard / Irma Negaard

Nyla M Schwartz / Gerald Schwartz

John J Negaard / Chere Negaard

Rena Weed / Larry Weed

Celebration of Life

Date: Friday, October 1, 2010

Time: 10:00 AM

Location: Eternal Hills Mortuary

Address: 1999 El Camino Real, Oceanside, California 92054

Final Resting Place: Eternal Hills Memorial Park, Oceanside, California