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Submitted: 8/30/17 • Approved: 8/31/17 • Last Updated: 9/3/17 • R1192274-G1192273-S3
Ben
FIRST SERGEANT
11th Army Air Corps
World War II
February 4, 1921 - February 16, 2013
*Obituary
Northwest Arkansas Times
Monday, February 18, 2013
FAYETTEVILLE — Ben Ferguson Schlegel, DVM, age 92, of Fayetteville departed this world and went home to his Creator on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013.
He was born Feb. 4, 1921, in Bloomfield, Iowa, the son of Vance and Mildred Ferguson Schlegel. His father abandoned the family when Ben was a small child. He and his brother Bill were raised by their mother, grandparents and beloved stepfather, Bill Cree.
He graduated from Bloomfield High School in 1939 and enlisted in the Army Air Corps in August 1941. He served as a First Sergeant in the 11th Army Air Corps in the Northern Pacific and Alaska theater until the end of World War II.
He married Mary Vaughn in Bloomfield, Iowa, on Sept. 14, 1945. They were married 66 years until her death in November 2011.
After World War II, Dr. Schlegel studied pre-med at the University of Iowa and then studied veterinary medicine at Iowa State University, graduating with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1950. He practiced large animal veterinary medicine in Lake Park, Iowa, until 1960 when he joined the Eli Lilly group of companies in its animal science group. In 1965, he was transferred to Fayetteville to work in product development for the emerging poultry industry. He became one of the nation's leading experts in poultry diseases and treatment. When he retired in 1991, he was recognized as an industry pioneer by poultry industry associations of virtually every southern state.
Ben was a longtime member and Elder of the First United Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville. He was an avid, but mediocre golfer and member of the Fayetteville Country Club. His golfing friends, the "Dew Sweepers" were the first golfers on the course every Saturday morning for years. In 1993, he was struck blind by macular degeneration, but he continued to live a full life, in spite of his blindness.
He took great pride in the success of his children and grandchildren. Dr. Schlegel loved Fayetteville and the Razorbacks, as do his descendants. He made many personal sacrifices to see his children and grandchildren grown and educated to become good citizens of our great State of Arkansas. All five of his children graduated from the University of Arkansas, as did 10 of his grandchildren. He expected that many of his great-grandchildren will continue the family tradition and enroll at and graduate from the U of A. He will be remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
He is survived by two sons, Bruce Schlegel of Fayetteville, Ben Schlegel Jr., and his wife, Sylvia, of Fayetteville; three daughters, Carolyn Fries and her husband, Frank, of Rogers, Mary Elizabeth Smith and her husband, Wayne, of Cabot, Ark., Laura Huber and her husband, Harry, of Fayetteville, Ark.; 12 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Nelson-Berna Funeral Home in Fayetteville.
Memorial service will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at the First United Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville with the Revs. Phil & Jan Butin officiating.
Arrangements are under the direction of Nelson-Berna Funeral Home and Crematory of Fayetteville.
Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of one's choice.
To place an online tribute, visit www.nelsonberna.com.
Mary
October 7, 1923 - November 7, 2011
*Obituary
Springdale Morning News
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
FAYETTEVILLE — Mary V. Schlegel, 88, of Fayetteville, Ark., passed away Monday, Nov. 7, 2011, in Fayetteville. She was born Oct. 7, 1923, in Iowa City, Iowa, to J.B. Vaughn and Dorothy (McCollough) Vaughn.
She was a homemaker and a member of First United Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville, where she served as an elder and was a member of the Fayetteville Country Club Women's Golf association.
She was preceded in death by her brother, James R. Vaughn. A special thanks to the staff at Butterfield Trail Village and longtime caregiver, Charlotte Thomas.
She is survived by her husband, Ben F. Schlegel; two sons, Bruce Schlegel of Fayetteville and Ben Schlegel Jr. and his wife, Sylvia, of Fayetteville; three daughters, Carolyn Fries and her husband, Frank, of Rogers, Mary Elizabeth Smith and her husband, Wayne, of Cabot, Ark., and Laura Huber and her husband, Harry, of Omaha, Neb.; sister-in-law, LeGene Vaughn of Powell, Wyo.; 19 grandchildren, Ray Schlegel, Jenny Bartley, Hank Gray, Joseph Fries, Patrick Fries, Luke Fries, Ashley Rabb, Amy Graham, Ben Schlegel III, Thomas Schlegel, Chris Day, Adam Day, Darby Merriman, Jill Kennedy, Michelle Huber, Dennis Huber, Bob Huber, Kristina Huber, and Alex Huber; and 22 great-grandchildren; as well as three nieces and two nephews.
Visitation will be held today, Nov. 9, 2011, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Nelson-Berna Funeral Home in Fayetteville.
Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011, at First United Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville, with the Revs. Phil and Jan Butin officiating.
Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of your choice.
To sign the online guest book, please visit www.nelsonberna.com.
Arrangements are under the direction of Nelson-Berna Funeral Home and Crematory of Fayetteville.
Contributed on 8/30/17 by wfields55
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Record #: 1192274