David Loewen, born September 27, 1924 in rural North Dakota passed away peacefully at his Salem home into the arms of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on February 22, 2018 at the age of 93. Dave was the youngest of 15 children and the last to pass away. Dave’s family had emigrated to North Dakota from Russia by way of Germany. During the Depression years, Dave’s family lost their farm and moved to Oregon when Dave was nine.
WWII broke out when Dave was 17 and he was drafted into the Navy when he turned 18. He served on the aircraft carrier USS Nehenta Bay in the South Pacific until the war ended in 1945. Dave married his lifelong sweetheart, Esther (“Brown Eyes”), in San Diego on March 29, 1944, a week before he was deployed. After the war, Dave returned to Oregon and a job at the Boise Cascade Paper Mill in Salem, Oregon where he worked for more than 30 years. After Boise Cascade, Dave worked/helped at Gray’s Distributing, a greeting card company for several more years.
Throughout the years, Dave and Esther were members of the Kingwood Bible Church and later attended the Salem First Church of the Nazarene with their daughter Renee.
They raised three children, Steve, Mike and Renee and later raised Mike’s son, Casey. In the early family years, Dave enjoyed camping and water skiing. Later, vacations became cruises, European tours, Hawaii trips, and journeys around the US and the world. Dave was married for nearly 74 years and is survived by his wife Esther, his son Mike, and grandkids: Beth, Kate, Casey, Sara, Tess, Bryan and Kristen, as well as 10 great grandchildren. Dave was preceded in death by his daughter Renee in 1988 and his son Steve in 1994.
Viewing services will be held on Friday, March 2nd from noon to 2pm at the Restlawn Funeral Home located at 201 Oak Grove Rd NW, Salem. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, March 3rd at 2:30pm at the Salem First Church of the Nazarene located at 1550 Market St NE, Salem.
In lieu of flowers, please make any donations to the Kindred Hospice of Salem, the Salem First Church of the Nazarene or to the charity of your choice.