Surnames: AYER WITTLINGER VANDERHOOF RAHM HANSON

----Sources: Loyal TRG 06 July 2005

Ayer, Melvin W. (11 Sep 1923 - 30 JUN 2005)

Melvin Walter Ayer, 81, died Thursday, June 30, 2005, at House of the Dove, Marshfield. Funeral services were held at 11 a.m., Tuesday, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Unity. Burial was in Trinity Lutheran Cemetery, Unity. The Rev. Robert Bipes officiated. Pallbearers were Emery Rahm, Gale Hanson, Jim Dallmann, Ken Johnson, Dennis Bloom, and Brian Dallmann.

Melvin Walter Ayer was born Sept. 11, 1923, in the town of Unity, to Walter T. and Esther S. (nee Wittlinger) Ayer. He attended Riplinger Grade School, Riplinger High School and graduated from Unity High School in 1941. He enjoyed playing football, basketball, boxing, baseball, and softball. After graduation, he played with the Unity Tigers basketball team and various other baseball teams and enjoyed bowling. He married Helen Genevieve Johnson on Oct. 14, 1944, in Veefkind. They lived in Spencer, town of Unity, Colby, and the village of Unity. He was a hard worker all his life, he farmed, logged, and was an insurance agent. They raised four boys, Warren, Robert, Douglas and Bradley. They owned and operated Ayer Supermarket and Meat Processing business in Unity for 10 years before they retired in 1981. He and his wife enjoyed life on Pier Lake. He was an avid fisherman, hunter, and card player all his life and especially cherished visits from his family. He was a former clerk of the Maplewood School, and the former Village of Unity president. He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, church board and cemetery board. They celebrated 60 years of marriage in 2004.

Survivors include his wife, Helen Ayer, Unity , his sons, Warren (Debby) Ayer, Fremont, Robert (Roxanna) Ayer, Columbus, Douglas (Judy) Ayer, Merrill, and Bradely (Jane) Ayer, Clear Lake; seven grandchildren, Jeff (Arlene) Ayer, Forest Lake, Minn., Annette Ayer, Green Bay, Scott Ayer, Merrill, John Ayer, Merrill, Ashley Ayer, Columbus, Danielle Ayer, Columbus, and Ryan Ayer, Clear Lake; one great-grandchild, Autumn Ayer, Forest Lake, Minn.; and three sisters, Lenore Vanderhoof, Marshfield, Lucille Rahm, Spencer, and Elaine (Owen) Hanson, Apache Junction, Ariz.

Preceding him in death were his parents, Esther and Walter; and one brother, Verland.

Community Funeral Home, Colby, assisted the family with arrangements.

Trinity Lutheran Church at Unity, Wisconsin