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Melvin A. Lund

1934 - 2019

Melvin (Mike) Alfred Lund, 85, of Hutchinson, Minnesota, died Nov. 1, 2019, at Prairie Senior Cottages in Hutchinson.

Memorial services will be held Sunday, July 2, at 1 p.m., at the American Legion Post 267 in Clearwater. There will be a catered meal provided. There will also be a time of honoring Melvin's wife, Elaine, who died March 17, 2023.

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Melvin A. Lund was born July 6, 1934, in Plainview, to Alfred and Marie (Schmidt) Lund. He attended Clearwater Public school through the eighth grade. He grew up in rural Clearwater, with six siblings.

Melvin met his future wife, Elaine, while skating at the roller rink in Neligh. He married Elaine E. Coover on Aug. 28, 1953, in Neligh.

Melvin was a member of the Clearwater Church of Christ. Melvin and Elaine raised five children. Together, they farmed for 34 years near Clearwater, raising crops, beef cattle and dairy cattle. After leaving the farm, they lived in Neligh for 19 years and then moved to Parkston, South Dakota, in 2006. They moved to Hutchinson in 2017 to be closer to family.

Melvin was able to fix just about anything, whether it was welding or carpentry. He was a perfectionist. Once, after he paid someone to build a new entrance to the milkroom, he tore it down and re-built it. He built two homes from the ground up, with help from a good friend. He was something of an inventor. He made a device to inject molasses into the cow feed while the grain was still in the grinder/mixer. He developed a water system for the stall barn to prevent the water from freezing. When it became too painful for Melvin to start his chainsaw, he invented a kick starter to pull the cord.

He enjoyed farming, especially the stock cattle. He loved a good watermelon after an afternoon of haying, and always, a piece of pie. Mike enjoyed teasing his wife. After 66 years of marriage, Elaine still did not recognize the twinkle in his eye that indicated his joking.

Melvin was preceded in death by his parents, Alfred and Marie; grandson, Phillip; granddaughter, Tracy; and siblings, Leroy, Roland, Betty and Bernice.

He is survived siblings, Arlene and John; and children, Randall (Cindy) Lund of O'Neill; Patricia (Doug Simons) Tuttle of Atkinson; Ronald (Jayne) Lund of Lewistown, Montana; Richard (Laura) Lund of Grove City, Minnesota; and Michelle (Richard) Nekuda of Filley; 19 grandchildren and 34 great-grandchildren.