Grygla - Melvin Wilkens, 78, died Friday, March 21, 1997 at Northwest Medical Center in Thief River Falls. Arrangements are with Green Funeral Home of Thief River Falls.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, March 27 at 2 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church of Grygla with Rev. Roberta Johnson officiating. Burial will be in St. Olaf Cemetery of Valley township, Marshall County. Visitation will be held Wednesday, March 26 from 1 to 7:30 p.m. with a 7 p.m. prayer service at Green Funeral Home, and also for one hour prior to services at the church.
Casketbearers will be Douglas Torgerson, Gary Kiesow, Rodney Wayne, Wallace Sistad, Steven Holte, Brian Stanley, Wesley Sandsmark and Leon Erickson. Honorary casketbearers will be the Marshall County Highway Department and his friends in attendance.
Melvin was born on August 31, 1918 in Moylan Township, Marshall County, the son of Albert and Frieda (Becker) Wilkens. He was baptized and confirmed in the Christian Faith at Goodridge and attended rural school in the Goodridge area. He worked for the Marshall County Highway Department for 43 years. He was united in marriage to Clara Barstad on October 1, 1939 in Grygla. The couple lived in Newton, IL for one year and then returned to Grygla where they have since resided. Melvin retired in 1985.
He was a member of Grace Lutheran Church and the Grygla Lions Club. He enjoyed life, camping, hunting, fishing, flying, leading snowmobile rides and playing his accordion.
He is survived by wife Clara; daughters Marles (Bruce) Larson of Duluth and Janice (Sheldon) Peterson of Grygla; son Dale (Kaye) of Grygla; nine grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; brother Raymond Wilkens; and brother-in-law Arnold Homme of Fargo, ND.
He was preceded in death by parents; brother Lloyd; sisters Lavera Homme and Arlyne Skoglund; sisters-in-law Dorothy and Ethel; and brother-in-law Merril Skoglund.