Elgin "Gene" Cavanaugh

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Elgin “Gene” Cavanaugh, 82, of Gettysburg, passed away on Monday, June 22, 2015 at the Avera Oahe Manor in Gettysburg.

Funeral services were held at 11:30 a.m., Friday, June 26, 2015 at the United Methodist Church, Gettysburg with Pastor Jeff Adel officiating.  Burial followed at the Gettysburg Cemetery, with military honors.  Visitation was held from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., Thursday, June 25, 2015 with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service, all at the church. 

Elgin Eugene Cavanaugh was born January 10, 1933, on the family farm west of Agar, SD to James and Nettie (Barr) Cavanaugh.  Gene was the eleventh of twelve children.  He attended rural Agar grade school and graduated from Agar High School in 1951.

Gene served in the U.S. Army from 1955 to 1957 and spent time at Ft Knox, KY, and Hanau, Germany, serving in the Engineer Corps.  He married the love of his life, Edna Bowman, in November 1955, whom he met at one of the many area dances he loved to attend.  He spent his life on the family farm until health issues made farming impossible when Gene and Edna moved to Gettysburg.  He later moved to the Avera Oahe Manor where he lived until his death.

Farming was in Gene’s blood and was the most important thing in his life after his faith and his family.  Leaving the farm to move to town was one of the toughest things he ever did.  He was a life-long member of the Agar United Methodist Church and served his Lord in many different capacities to include usher, church board member, and lay leader.  He served on the Farmington School Board, Agar School Board, the Missouri Valley Insurance Company Board, Sully County Zoning Board, and the Farmers’ Home Administration Board.  Gene was curious and loved to fix all manner of tractors, equipment, and electronics.  He even used his GI Bill to take a correspondence course on repairing TVs.  Gene and Edna loved to square dance and took in dances all over the state, even performing on the Freedom Stage at the State Fair.  Gene also loved to compose and recite poems, writing them for births, anniversaries, birthdays, retirements, weddings, Christmas letters (33 years), and other special events.

Gene is survived by his wife of over 59 years, Edna of Gettysburg; his children: Dan (Julie) Cavanaugh, Rapid City, Marty (Kelle) Cavanaugh, Rapid City, Barry (Laurie) Cavanaugh, Colorado Springs, CO, Lori (Larry) Stauss, Longmont, CO, and Carmen (Bob) Weber, Eureka; thirteen grandchildren: Michael (Lynn) Cavanaugh, Ryan Cavanaugh, PJ Cavanagh, Elizabeth (Matt) Ward, Katelyn Cavanaugh, Emily Cavanaugh, Hannah Cavanaugh, Joey Stauss, Heidi Stauss, Courtney Weber, Jesse Weber, Megan Weber, and Melissa (Nate) Moyer; 3 great grandchildren: Henry Ward, Mariah Moyer, and Nadia Moyer, and two more on the way, Jackson Eugene Cavanaugh (September) and Baby Boy Ward (November); two brothers; four sisters; numerous nieces, nephews, grand nieces, and grand nephews; and Gene and Edna’s “adopted” family, very special friends Ian and Annelize deKock and their daughter Lizaan.

Gene was preceded in death by his mother, Nettie; father, James; and three brothers and two sisters.

The family would like to thank the Avera Oahe Manor for the special care they provided over the last years of Gene’s life.

The family asks that memorials be directed to the Gettysburg United Methodist Church Building Addition.

Luce Funeral Home of Gettysburg has been entrusted with Gene’s arrangements.