Services for Melvin Englund
Melvin Englund, 86 of Grygla, MN passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 03, 2020 at Tender Hearts Assisted Living, Blackduck, MN surrounded by his loving family.
Funeral service will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2020 at 2:00 PM at Grace Lutheran Church in Grygla, MN with Reverend Ken Bowman Officiating. Burial will be at Bethesda Cemetery near Grygla, MN. Visitation w be held one hour prior to the service at Grace Lutheran Church.
Melvin Arthur Englund was born February 24, 1934 son of Swan and Olga (Wolden) Englund, southeast of Goodridge, MN on a farm where he lived until he was about 4 years of age. The family moved to their farm East of Grygla where he lived until moving to Blackduck, MN early in 2015. Melvin went to school in Spruce Grove School where they walked every day until he completed 8th grade. Church was also something the family attended in that same school house. The family used the horses to go to Grygla and the Carmel Store to buy groceries. After 8th grade he worked on the family farm and for local farms. He went in the woods and worked logging with Jim Kjelberg, and Dave Bourman. At the age of 19 he started work for the Kinney farm near Kennedy, MN, in the spring and fall and helped at home putting up hay.
At age 22 Melvin was drafted into the Army December 12, 1956 and served his country for 2 years where he was stationed in Atlanta, GA. Melvin was part of a maintenance crew while in the service. Following his honorable discharge Melvin worked for a construction company in Hallock, pouring curbs and gutters in Grygla.
On January 14, 1961 Melvin was united in marriage to Polly Gram in East Grand Forks, MN. They started a family very soon after. He was working at Kruger farms where he and Polly lived in a cabin near East Grand Forks. In 1962 he was called back into the Army Reserve for about 11 months, the family then moved to the Grygla farm. When he was discharged from the reserve he went to Larson Farms and worked for Delwood Larson putting up steel bins for several years. In the winters he worked in the woods at the Northwest Angle. He later worked at Marvin Windows for about 3 years. Following that he worked on a local farm for Lyle Kenner until his retirement in 1996.
Melvin loved driving around and spending time visiting the neighbors drinking coffee, gardening, hunting, playing cards, and driving his team of horses.
Melvin is survived by his loving wife of 59 years Polly; children Michael (Lynette) Englund of Warroad, MN, Margie (John) Jones of Mounds View, MN, Robert (Wendy) Englund of Grygla, MN, Stacy (Kris) Englund-Petrich of Hibbing, MN; grandchildren Jessica (Spencer) Lahr of Waverly, MN, Jamie (James Elwood) Englund of Thief River Falls, MN, Ann Jones of Columbia Heights, MN, Chelsi (Caleb) Lindley of Gonvick, MN, Jacob Jones of Minneapolis, MN, Austin (Samantha) Englund of Grygla, MN, Saphire (Blake) Walker of Thief River Falls, MN and Topanga Brown of Thief River Falls, MN; great-grandchildren Arrow, Zelly, and Thistle Lindley, Bexleigh Lahr and Otto Englund. Sister; Gladys McCormack of Brooklyn Center, MN, along with several nieces and nephews.
Melvin is preceded in death by his parents, siblings Elmer, Gust, Carl, Arnie, Emmy Englund, Mae Martin, Eileen Kroener and Ella Englund.
Condolences may be sent to www.johnsonfuneralservice.com
