Ronald Davis

Ronald Wayne Davis, 78, of Martelle, Iowa, passed away on Thursday, April 9, 2015, at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, due to complications from a brain aneurysm. Memorial Services: 10:30 a.m. on Monday, April 13, 2015, at Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services, Mount Vernon (formerly Morgan's) by Charles Deam. Visitation: 2-5 p.m. on Sunday at the funeral home. Burial: Norwich Cemetery, rural Martelle, with military honors. Ron was born August 26, 1936, on the family farm in Hopkinton, Iowa, to Floyd and Mary (Cline) Davis. He was the oldest of four children and graduated from Hopkinton High School in 1955. Ron served in the US Army Signal Corp as a radar technician. When he returned home, he met Sandra Mae Miller, a bank teller, at the Martelle Farmers Savings Bank. They married in May of 1964 in Martelle. Ron was a longtime employee as an electrician at Wilson Foods in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which later changed to Farmstead Foods. After Farmstead closed, Ron went back to Kirkwood and earned his Journeyman's license. He finished his working career as an electrician for Oral B in Iowa City. Ron kept very busy over his lifetime, serving on the Martelle Volunteer Fire Department, the Martelle City Council, and the Norwich Cemetery Board for many years. He enjoyed being a member of the Jones County Amateur Radio Club and was a member of the American Legion Post 13 in Anamosa. Ron loved the outdoors and his favorite hobby was fishing. In the summer if he wasn't fishing, he could probably be found working in his shed on a wood project or tending to his many vegetable gardens. Ron furthered his education earning a Master Gardener's certification. What Ron enjoyed most was spending time with his family and watching his three grandchildren grow up. Survivors include his wife, Sandra; daughter, Natalie (Alan) Zaehringer; three grandchildren, Elizabeth, Emily, and Alexander of Swisher, Iowa; brother, Cletis (Mary) Davis of Cedar Rapids; sister, Clista (Delmar) Brown of Iowa City; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and two honorary daughters, Laura Noya Ruiz of Cochabamba, Bolivia, and Peggy Goldsmith Gastaldo of San Diego, California. He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Robert Charles; and two sons, Mark and Noel. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Martelle Volunteer Fire Department or the Norwich Cemetery Association, in care of Jane Beck, 3821 Dalewood Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52403.