Gale Edward Ewald, of Fitchburg, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 at St. Mary’s Hospital, during a brief illness.
He was born on March 18, 1923, at his parents’ farm in the Town of Farmington, Waupaca County, Wisconsin. He was the son of Robert Francis Ewald and Florence (Peterson) Ewald. Mr. Ewald attended the one-room McFall school in Town of Farmington and graduated from Waupaca High School in 1941. He married Charlotte Salverson of Waupaca at the First Baptist Church in Waupaca on Sept. 3, 1949. During WWII, he served as an Amphibious Engineer with the 534th Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment in New Guinea, the Philippines and during the occupation of Japan. Following his return, he attended Oshkosh Teachers College and finished his B.S. Degree in Economics and Sociology at the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 1950. In 1958, he completed a Master of Science Degree in Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Education from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Early in his career, he worked at Oscar Mayer in Madison, and as an agricultural statistician for the State of Wisconsin. In 1960, he joined the United States Department of Agriculture in Denver, Colorado as an Economist. In 1961, Mr. Ewald transferred to the United States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service in Madison, Wisconsin as an Agricultural Economist, and continued in federal service until his retirement in 1983. He co-authored several publications related to Wisconsin agriculture, crop marketing, and economics. As a side interest, Mr. Ewald was a partner in a John Deere dealership, Mt. Horeb Implement. Mr. Ewald enjoyed photography and year-round fishing. During retirement, he attended several Elderhostel courses and took many trips to visit friends and family around the country. He volunteered with elementary school students in the Madison School System. His greatest passion, however, was his love for cars — researching and owning more than 67 new cars over the course his life.
Mr. Ewald is survived by his wife, Charlotte; daughters, Janet Ewald and Carole Ewald (John Elliott); granddaughter, Hannah Sikorski; nephew, Bryce (Charlotte) Davies; and niece, Gayle Davies. He is also missed by his loyal feline companion, Sheba. He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Jane (Ewald) Davies; and nephews, Robert Davies and Irvin Davies.
Funeral services will be held at Bethany Evangelical Free Church, 301 Riverside Drive, Madison, at 1 p.m., on Thursday, March 19, 2020 with Pastor David Carlson officiating. Visitation will be held at the church from 11:30 a.m. until the time of the service on Thursday. Burial will be at 11 a.m. on Friday, March 20, 2020 at Lakeside Cemetery in Waupaca. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Salvation Army or a charity of your choosing. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.
“It is well with my soul”