Blaze E. Savage

ARIZONA CITY - Blaze E. Savage, 93, of Arizona City died on May 22, 2015.

The celebration of life will be at 11 a.m. Friday at J. Warren Funeral Services, Cole & Maud The Gardens Chapel in Casa Grande. Interment will be in San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery, Santa Nella Village, California.

Mr. Savage was born on Jan. 29, 1922, in Cloquet, Minnesota, and was a member of the Fond du Lac tribe of the Chippewa Nation, growing up on the reservation. He had a career in the Air Corps and Air Force, including service in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam War, and retired after 26 years. He also had tours in Japan, Guam and Hawaii and received various medals including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, Korean Service Medal and others. He married his wife, Evelyn, on April 26, 1944, and they had three children, Sherry, Allen and Sandra.

After retirement from the Air Force, he worked for Merced County, California, and was a human service agency supervisor. He later traveled the nation with his wife and settled down in Arizona. He was an active member of Indian Hills Community Church, was ordained by Charles and Frances Hunter Ministries and ministered on various Native American reservations. His hobbies included dancing, painting and travel.

Survivors include his wife of 71 years; a daughter, Sandra; two brothers, Russell and Jerry Savage; a sister, Alice Buck of Cloquet; two granddaughters; and six great-grandchildren.