Irven Merit Chenoweth passed away on July 8, 2015, at the Eben-Ezer Lutheran Care Center in Brush, Colorado. Irven Chenoweth was born February 17, 1934 on the family farm one mile south of Grinnell, Kansas. He was the fourth and youngest child of Orval Miles and Lydia Janet Chenoweth. Eight and a half years separated Irven from his next older sibling, Ona, so he was a much adored, but much younger, child. When Irven was 7, Pearl Harbor was bombed and the United States entered World War II. His brother James served in the Navy, and Irven supported the troops by earning money to buy war bonds. In the spring of 1949, his freshman year in high school, Irven's mother died unexpectedly. When his father remarried in June 1951, Irven moved to Colorado to life with James, who had married and settled near Woodrow. Irven spent his senior year at Woodrow Union High School, where he graduated in May 1952. That fall, Irven began college at the University of Colorado in Boulder, with a major in Engineering. On November 18, 1954, following two years of college, Irven was drafted into the U.S. Army. Few people today realize that a peacetime draft existed in the 1950s. Young men who decided to enlist could choose whether to serve in the army, navy, marines, or air force, but they were required to serve four years. Those who were drafted were placed in the army, but only served for two years. Irven chose the draft option. Irven was assigned to the 6th Reconnaissance Company of the 6th Infantry Division in Fort Ord, California for eight weeks of Basic Infantry Training. While at Fort Ord, he applied for OCS (Officer Candidate School). Following completion of basic training, Irven went to Camp Chaffee, Arkansas for eight weeks of artillery training with the 5th Armored Division Artillery. When artillery training was complete, Irven and other OCS applicants were held over at Camp Chaffee for OCS training. He then traveled to San Francisco, California by way of Ft. Lewis, Washington. From California, Irven flew to Tokyo, with a landing in Hawaii. It was his expectation that he would be sent to Korea, and indeed, he traveled by train to northern Honshu for assignment to Korea. In the end, however, he found himself back in Tokyo and in the Honor Guard. The Honor Guard Company began as the security guard for General MacArthur. At the time of Irven's assignment, the Company was an elite, tri-service unit composed of two Army platoons, one Air Force platoon, and one Navy and Marine platoon. The Honor Guard's mission was to protect the general headquarters of the Far East Command, to guard the residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the Far East Command, and to provide parades and special formations for high ranking visitors and dignitaries. Irven was with the Honor Guard from May 30, 1955 to October 15, 1956. He was discharged from Fort Ord on October 26, 1956. Following active duty, he served 6 years in the reserves. Irven returned to school at the University of Colorado in February 1957. He changed his major to mechanical engineering, but soon left college altogether. He moved about, including a stint in Alaska, before settling in Denver. He worked for a time with Eberhardt-Denver Gearing, but most of his years were spent with Samsonite. The mechanics of engineering, and how things work, fascinated Irven. He took up clock repair as a hobby and was proud of his extensive collection of fine tools. He also loved sports cars, particularly his Porsche. Travel was another of Irven's interests. In his months with the Honor Guard, he traveled around Japan, enjoying Mt. Fuji in particular. His love of travel continued and, over the years, he traveled around the world. While in Europe, he even visited the tiny Pyrenees country of Andorra, a task involving the local bus system. He traveled in Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, Turkey, and Europe. He toured China, India, and Cambodia and he visited Russia by way of Finland. He enjoyed a number of cruises, and also traveled the United States on a motorcycle. A bad fall in the spring of 2012 put an end to Irven's travels. He returned to Brush, Colorado, in the locality where he attended high school, and resided at the Eben-Ezer Lutheran Care Center from the fall of 2012 until his death on July 8, 2015. He is survived by his two sisters, Florris Drury of Grover City, California and Ona Hiller, of Camarillo, California, his sister-in-law Doris Chenoweth of Brush, Colorado, numerous nephews and nieces, great nephews and great nieces, and great-great nephews and great-great nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother James. Graveside side services and interment will be at the Fort Logan National Cemetery on Thursday, July 16, 2015, at 11:15 AM Staging Area C. The Heer Mortuary is entrusted with the funeral arrangements.