Eugene Merle Mecklem

Eugene Merle Mecklem formerly of Fairview Township, Fredonia, passed away Saturday, May 25, 2024, at the St. Paul's Senior Living Center. He had just turned 96.

Gene was born on the family farm on Airport Road in Fairview Township on 20 May 1928, a son of William S. and Birdie C. (Pears) Mecklem. He married Alice L. Patterson on December 24, 1947, and settled into family life in his house on Airport Road in Fairview Township that he and his father built.

Gene started his working career helping to tear down Camp Reynolds, then worked for Davy Tree Company. In 1947 he was hired by Penn Power as a tree trimmer and worked at this job for 43 years ending his career as a tree trimmer foreman.

In 1948 he and five fellow tree trimmers came upon a boy who had been hit on the road and Gene used his company first aid training to apply first aid to the boy while on the way to the hospital and helped save the boy's life.

Eugene M. Mecklem was an Elder, Sunday School Teacher, and Youth Leader in the former Carpenter's Corner Church of Christ and later attended the Meadville First Christian Church. In the 1990's he made several visits to Russia as part of a mission team.

He enjoyed growing a garden and fruit trees and kept up his house and large yard well into his 90s with only minimal help. He also enjoyed collecting Wheel Horse tractors.

Gene was preceded in death by his wife Alice, who passed in 2021, and is survived by five children: Daryl (Kathleen) Mecklem, of Mullica Hill, NJ, Duane (Kathryn) Mecklem, of West Chester, OH, Keith (Janice) Mecklem, of Erlanger, KY, Marilyn (Mark) Painter of Stoneboro, and Rainette (Charles) Swift, of Batavia, OH; a brother, Thomas Mecklem of Fredonia, and two sisters, Donna Rose , Fredonia, and Darlene (Donald) Gealy, Transfer.   Five grandchildren; Rebekah (Michael) Lyons, Timothy (Amanda) Mecklem, Beth (Thomas) Lewis, Camden Mecklem, and Kaelyn Swift and six great-grandchildren; Hannah Mecklem, Matthew Mecklem, Audrey Lewis, Kennedy Lewis, Lorelai Lewis and Alice Lewis.

He was preceded in death by a brother, William O. Mecklem, and two sisters, Anna Mae Philson and Charlotte Donnell.

The funeral service will be held at 2:00 PM on Friday, May 31, 2024, at The Robert L. Snyder Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., 3223 Perry Hwy., Sheakleyville, with Tom O'Brien, family friend officiating. He will be laid to rest next to his wife at the Hadley cemetery.

Family and friends will be received on Friday from 11:00 -2:00 PM, with the funeral at 2:00 PM.  Memories and condolences may be shared with the family online at www.snvderfh.com.

 In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to St. Paul's Good Samaritan Fund or St. Paul's Alzheimer-Walk a Thon, 339 E. Jamestown Rd, Greenville, PA 16125.

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