FREDERICKTOWN — Marvin Dale McQuigg passed away at his home Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019, at the age of 85. He was surrounded by his loving family.
This gentle, benevolent soul came into the world March 25, 1934, in Croton, to his proud parents, Arthur D. and Burdell (Neighbarger) McQuigg. Little did they know that Marvin was destined to be the leader of a mighty clan of more than 50.
Marvin grew up on a small family farm outside of Mount Vernon. From an early age, he had an insatiable love of music. His family would travel into town on Friday evenings. Marvin would stay in the car and listen to Hawaiian and organ tunes on the radio while the rest of the family enjoyed shopping and other social activities.
Marvin attended Mount Vernon High School. He met the love of his life, Patricia Marcia Umbaugh, while attending the Christian & Missionary Alliance church on West High Street, Mount Vernon. She was twelve, he was fifteen. The highlight of their courtship was going to the roller rink on the top floor of Ye Olde Mill in Utica. Marvin and Patricia were united in marriage on Dec. 22, 1953, in Marion, Indiana.
Marvin worked at Pittsburgh Plate Glass for a time while living in Mount Vernon. He moved his young family to California in 1959, where he learned the building trade and began a lifelong affair with tacos, which he passed down to succeeding generations. The family moved back to Knox County after a collapse in the housing market. He started his own contracting business, Marvin McQuigg Builders, and built 300 homes in the area, including his own. The family eventually settled in the Village of Fredericktown.
Together, Marvin and Pat went on countless adventures fit for royalty. They spearheaded many family vacations to Myrtle Beach and Charleston, South Carolina. Marvin and Pat traveled to Hawaii in 1984, where Marvin enjoyed all the tropical luxuries he dreamed of while listening to the radio as a child. He went on a pilgrimage to Ireland with his wife and three daughters to visit his ancestral lands, including Dunluce Castle in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Marvin and Pat encouraged a love of travel in all of their children and grandchildren, often taking special trips with them throughout the United States, and supporting their journeys abroad.
Marvin was very active in his community. He served on the Fredericktown Village Council. He was a deacon at the First Baptist Church of Fredericktown. Marvin’s love for antiques and historic homes led to his involvement with the Fredericktown Historical Society. He assisted with getting several homes listed to the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Fredericktown Multiple Resource Area in 1979. He never shied away from lending a helping hand to those in need. He was proud to serve as a volunteer EMT for many years.
The McQuigg Clan championed the lip-sync competition for fourteen years at the Fredericktown Tomato Show. Marvin provided comedic relief for many of these performances. Long before the lip-sync performances, Marvin and Pat operated an old-timey photo booth at the Tomato Show when his own children were young. He enjoyed genealogy, especially adding branches to his tree. His Ancestry DNA tests confirmed everything he had discovered about his lineage, even the people and places he discovered before the dawn of the internet.
Marvin was preceded in death by his father Arthur, his mother Burdell, and wife of 64 years, Patricia.
He is survived by his five children, Michele (Ronald) Hurlow of Mount Vernon, Connie (James) Philips of Ostrander, Michael (Jennifer) McQuigg of Fredericktown, Timothy (Regina) McQuigg of Mount Vernon, Tricia (Paul) Brown of Fredericktown; eighteen grandchildren; eighteen great-grandchildren; his brother, Milton (Glenna) McQuigg of Deming, NM; his sister, Donna (Art) Robson of Mount Vernon; and many nieces and nephews. His legacy will continue.
Friends may call Friday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Snyder Funeral Home in Fredericktown. Funeral services will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at the First Baptist Church in Fredericktown. Burial will follow at Forest Cemetery in Fredericktown.
Memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church of Fredericktown.
To leave a condolence to the family, visit www.snyderfuneralhomes.com.
