Thanks for the prompt Stephen,  that got me tearing into things a bit more.  Continuity thru the switch was good (infinate resistance when off, zero resistance when pressed), so that was not the problem. However, after I had reassembled the front panel, I then retested the voltage thru the switch at the point where the leads connect to the Igniter module at the back of the stove.  This was in fact less than 1 volt.  I had already checked the battery, and also the positive lead from the battery box to the Igniter module, but this was the first time testing the complete loop.   

 The reduced continuity was in the battery ensemble.  I put some dielectric grease on each end of the battery and also on the contact points on the spring at the cap.  This gave me 1.5 volts and the ignitor works again.

Thanks for the thoughtful reply. It gave me a new direction to pursue which eventually led me to the solution.

Best regards, Daniel Carlson on sv BeBe, SM# 387