Melvin C. Ahlgren

Melvin C. Ahlgren, 89, of LeClaire, Iowa, died Friday, September 3, 2010 at Trinity Bettendorf.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M., Thursday, September 9, 2010 at First Presbyterian Church in LeClaire, Iowa. Visitation will be from 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. on Wednesday at McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home in Bettendorf. Burial will be in Davenport Memorial Park with military honors conducted by the American Legion Buffalo Bill Post 347 of LeClaire, where he was a member. Memorials may be made to the church or to the American Legion.
Melvin was born August 19, 1921 in Argo, Iowa, the son of Axel & Lillian (Leptein) Ahlgren.
During World War II, he served in the Unites States Army, 98th Division Signal Corps and was stationed in Japan for a period of time. He was honorably discharged in February of 1946.
Melvin was united in marriage to Mary B. Albrecht on September 1, 1946 near Carthage, Illinois.
Melvin retired from Alcoa at the age of sixty-two after twenty-five years of employment. Previously, he had served as Marshall of LeClaire, had also worked in construction and had built his own house.
Melvin had always enjoyed sports, especially basketball. During high school, he was honorably mentioned for the all-state Iowa basketball team and he played on the Army basketball championship team in 1942-44. He also helped with Little League and Townball teams in earlier years.
He was a long-time member of First Presbyterian Church in LeClaire and, in 2008, had been awarded a sixty-year membership certificate from the American Legion. Melvin enjoyed raising horses, his favorite one named”Crackerjack.” Most of all, he loved his family and the time he spent with them.
Those left to honor his memory include his beloved wife of sixty-four years, Mary; his sons and daughters-in-law, Richard & Donna Ahlgren, of Davenport, Scott & Marti Ahlgren of LeClaire and Tim & Patricia Ahlgren, of Omaha, Nebraska; his grandchildren, Ian Ahlgren, Carrie Ahlgren, Rebecca (Kevin) Knox, Erica (Jay) Jansen, Elise Ahlgren, Brett Ahlgren, James Ahlgren, Lillian Ahlgren and Matthew Ahlgren; his great-grandchildren, Kirstie Noble, Carlie Mullins, Alex Ahlgren, Tyler Ahlgren, Addison Knox, Zachary Knox, Andrew Knox and Easton Jansen; and his sisters, Marion (Bill) Henderkott, of Bettendorf, Marjorie Gillam, of Bettendorf and Carol (Donald) Sidlinger, of LeClaire.
Melvin was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Larry and his wife, Joyce; his sisters, Vernelle Olson, Florence DeMeulenaere, Lillian Holst and Roberta Ahlgren; and his brothers, Albert Ahlgren and Robert Ahlgren.
Online condolences may be expressed to the family by visiting Melvin’s obituary at www.McGinnis-Chambers.com.