Elwood Rennison

My Life Story Elwood Eugene Rennison, 78, of Meridian died from a 10 year battle of cancer, on June 18, 2015, at his home. Funeral services will be held at 4:00 PM on Tuesday, June 23rd at the Meridian United Methodist Church, 240 E. Idaho St. A viewing will begin at 3:00 PM. Dinner in the Family Life Center will follow the service. Burial will be held at 1:00 PM on Thursday, June 25th at the Unity Pioneer Cemetery in Unity, OR. Remembrances may be left for the family at www.AccentFuneral.com. Services are under the direction of Accent Funeral Home. Elwood was born June 8, 1937, in Long Beach, CA, the second son of Hugh Fredrick and Iva Pauline Mason Rennison. He graduated from Chico High School in 1956. He served in the Army Reserves from 1962 to 1967. June 1963 was a busy month for him. He earned a Civil Engineering degree from Chico State College, Chico, California, had a birthday, and on June 9, 1963, he married his college sweetheart, Patricia Erwin. Their two sons, Elwood Wilson and Brett Eugene, have five daughters: Aislinn, McKinley, Mercedes, Madison, and Zoe. Professionally, Elwood became an Em-Kayan in 1962 at Canyon Dam, California. Forty two years later he retired from Morrison Knudsen Co. Inc. proudly wearing the “M-K Meatball”. Each project was a new adventure: working in places such as Canada, California, Connecticut, Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Louisiana, and England. He was the engineer on-site for construction of dams, coal mines, Trident submarine launch facilities, as well as hazardous waste clean-up. In 1979, Elwood transferred to the MK home office in Boise and has lived in Meridian since then. He immersed himself in community activities, mainly centered around groups that provided positive growth for youth. These included Optimist Rifle Club, 4-H, and Junior Achievement. He spent much of his time with Boy Scout Troop 1 in Meridian, acting as Advancement Chairman and Meridian District Commissioner. He was awarded the Arrow of Light, Award of Merit, and Silver Beaver. He was proud that he was able to help more than 13 young men earn their Eagle Scout awards. He was baptized and active in the Meridian Methodist Church. Elwood was a member of the Elks Lodge for over 30 years. Elwood touched many lives and appreciated the kindness and caring of others. He truly had an outward focus toward others, not an inward one on himself. If you knew Elwood, you knew he loved to visit and tell stories. In many ways he served as the link between past generations and today. Elwood always made sure that his family knew their heritage and that his ancestors lived on through verbal memories. He also enjoyed hunting, fishing, old car restorations, and gun shows with family and friends. He had a special interest in preservation causes, Reel Recovery, Mountain States Tumor Institute, and activities that furthered growth of future generations. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Hugh Fredrick Jr, and his grandson Trevyn Paul-Hugh Rennison. Elwood’s family wants to thank all the staff at St. Luke’s MSTI for the exceptional expertise and care over the past ten plus years. Dr. Bucur, Dr. Fender, Dr. Carr, Dr. Thursten, and Dr. Kantarian extended Elwood’s life to enjoy his grandgirls, family, and friends. Thank you.