Vernon Scramstad

Vernon Emmett Scramstad, 85, a former resident of Anchorage and current resident of Fresno, Calif., died June 9, 2007, at a hospital in Fargo, N.D.
Vern Scramstad was born Sept. 28, 1921, in Underwood, Minn. He grew up on a farm with his nine sisters and brothers and graduated from Underwood High School in 1939.
He joined the U.S. Marines and served in the South Pacific during World War II. In 1945, Vern moved to Anchorage, where he worked for Alaska Airlines in the air freight department and where he met his first wife, Beverly McLain. Later, he started his own fire extinguisher business and commercially grew tomatoes. In 1957, Vern moved to Fresno, where he was an insurance underwriter for many years with AAA. In Fresno, he met and married his second wife, Jackie. For the past 35 years he was a raisin and walnut farmer in the San Joaquin Valley.
"Vern often said that to serve others brought him the greatest happiness in life. He left a lasting legacy and wonderful memories to cherish," his family wrote.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Jackie; his daughter, Becky Driggers; and his siblings, Lucille, Catherine, Mabel, Gordon, Lloyd, Kermit and Gloria.
Vern is survived by five children, Sharon and husband Bruce Merrell of Anchorage, Sandy and husband Michael Wooden of Honolulu, Tim and wife Susan Scramstad of Clovis, Calif., Karen McCarter of Ashland, Ore., and Neal and wife Nancy McCarter of Easton, Calif.; two siblings, Marilyn Schmidtke, and Arlan and wife Lucy Scramstad; three sisters-in-law, Rose Scramstad, Marion Scramstad and Marietta and husband Chuck Worrell; nine grandchildren, Kirsten and Andrew Merrell, Geoff, Sean and James Wooden, Mandie and David Boyles, and Kate and Anne Scramstad; and one great-grandchild, Franklynn Moore.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the National Kidney Foundation, 131 Steuart St., Suite 520, San Francisco, CA 94105