Earl William Melkert

Earl William Melkert, 77, a resident of rural Erhard, died Wednesday, January 4, 2017, at his home under the care of Lakeland Hospice.

Earl was born on June 23, 1939, to William Herman and Elizabeth Mary (McGuire) Melkert in Pelican Rapids. He attended country school in Maplewood and Long Lake and graduated from Pelican Rapids High School in 1957.

When Earl was born, his family lived in what is now Maplewood State Park. They moved to a farm in Elizabeth Township in 1949, and Earl resided there until the time of his death. In May of 1958, Earl’s father became ill and he took over the family dairy farm. He retired from dairy in 2000, but continued to farm the land until his health would not permit it. On February 28, 1959, Earl was united in marriage to Barbara Ackerson at Faith Lutheran Church in Pelican Rapids, and together they raised three children.

Earl was a member of Augustana Lutheran Church in Elizabeth, where he served on the church council and cemetery board. He was also a dedicated volunteer at the Food Shelf in Fergus Falls.

He enjoyed stock car racing, and for many years he owned a car with friends. They raced at the old fair grounds track and at the Wee Town Race Track. He loved spending time with his family and friends, and making people laugh is what he enjoyed most.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Elizabeth Melkert; and a sister, Darlene Splittgerber.

Earl is survived by his wife of fifty-seven years, Barbara Melkert of Erhard; his children, Daryl (Jodi) Melkert of Fort Worth, TX, Diane (John) Benson of Moorhead, and David (Carla) Melkert of Minot, ND; his grandchildren, Justin, Kyle and Ryan Melkert, Derrick Forde, Seth and Sam Benson, and Collin, Kate and Clair Melkert; a great-granddaughter, Eloise Forde; one aunt; a sister-in-law, Carol (Dennis) Splittgerber; a brother-in-law, Don Yoder; eight nieces and nephews; and many cousins and friends.

Visitation: 4:00-6:00 PM on Sunday, January 8, 2017, at the Olson Funeral Home with a public prayer service at 5:30 PM. Visitation will resume one hour prior to the service at the church on Monday.
Service: 1:00 PM on Monday, January 9, 2017, at Augustana Lutheran Church in Elizabeth.
Clergy: Reverend Kate Bruns
Interment: Augustana Lutheran Cemetery in Elizabeth.
Funeral Home: Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls.