Obituaries

Leslie James Saumweber Sr.

Photo of Leslie James Saumweber Sr.
Leslie James Saumweber Sr., 91, of Bentonville, Ark., passed away Sunday, Nov. 27, 2016. He was born Oct. 25, 1925 in Lidgerwood, N.D., the son of Joseph E. and Mable S. (Stine) Saumweber. Les, one of the last of "The Great Generation", grew up in Fargo, N.D., and attended Fargo Central H.S. In 1943 at the height of WWII he enlisted in the Marine Corps, serving in the First Marine Division on Peleliu and Okinawa. Upon the ending of hostilities with Japan, Les continued to serve with the First Division in Northern China as a "China Marine" until December 1946. After the war, Les attended ND State and UCLA, married Betty Lea Marshall, and began a 25-year career at Sears Roebuck and Co. in Los Angeles and then Chicago. In 1972, he "retired" to Stone Lake, Wis., where he and Betty owned Pine Ridge Resort on Lake Big Sissabagama. In the following years, he served as Town Chairman, as a County Supervisor, and with the Area Agency on Aging before his final retirement in 1997 at age 72. Throughout his life, Les always viewed himself as a Marine, quoting often the saying, "Once a Marine, always a Marine". He lived a life dedicated to his family, exemplifying the Marine Corps motto "Semper Fidelis". This good man was preceded in death by his wife, Betty Lea Saumweber; and his daughter, Suzan M. London. He is survived by his sister, Sara Catherine Swanson of Austin, Minn.; his son, Leslie J. Saumweber Jr. and daughter-in-law, Janice Lynn Saumweber of Bentonville; grandchildren, Vanessa L Scruggs of Austin, Texas, and Joseph Saumweber, Jacqueline Saumweber and Adam Saumweber of Bentonville, Ark.; and seven great-grandchildren. Arrangements: Epting Funeral Home. Condolences: www.eptingfuneralhome.webs.com.

Published December 5, 2016

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