Harold W. Jaeger, 94, of
Mercer, went to be with his Lord Tuesday, May 28, 2013, in his home, with his
daughter by his side. Harold was born Oct. 20, 1918, in Merrill, son
of the late August and Martha (Weege) Jaeger, attended the Goetschel School in
Pine River, and farmed with his dad in Pine River. He came to Mercer in 1935,
where he worked for Walt and Alvina Hanneman in their lumber mill. Moving to
Wausau, he worked at the Wausau Paper Mill for two years, then farmed once
again in Pine River. Returning to Mercer in 1946, Harold worked with his
father-in-law on the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad for two years, and at the
Keith Jesse Sawmill from 1950 to 1967, when he purchased the equipment and the
mill closed. He then was a self-employed excavator until retiring in 1982. In
retirement, he worked for Arnold Saarnio for six years and plowed snow in the
winter. Harold was a legend in his time. He was a
member of Zion Lutheran Church in Mercer. On March 12, 1941, he was married to the
former Vivian Strahlow at St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Ironwood, Mich. She
preceded him in death on Dec. 30, 1997. Surviving are his daughter, Darlene Jaeger,
Mercer; a sister-in-law, Elsie Jaeger, Merrill; four nephews, Roger (Kate)
Jaeger, Oshkosh, Ronald (Teri) Jaeger, Menomonee Falls, Keith (Danette)
Jaeger, Wausau and Marvin Strahlow, Madison; and a niece, Lorraine (William) Buehler, White Fish Bay. Harold was preceded in death by two brothers,
Herman and Edwin; three sisters, Amanda Sutte, Emma Jaeger and Alvina Hanneman;
and a niece, Carol Hanneman, on June 19, 2003. Private funeral services will be held at Zion
Lutheran Church in Mercer, with burial to follow in the Mercer
Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to
Zion Lutheran Church or Regional Hospice Services, Inc., 100 S. Mill St.,
Bessemer, MI 49911. Arrangements have been entrusted to
McKevitt-Patrick Funeral Home Inc., Ironwood, where memories may be shared
online at mckevittpatrickfuneralhome.com.