Obit: Melvin, Ruth M. (1915 - 2010)

Contact: Stan    

Email: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Melvin, Waterman, Ockerlander

----Source: Marshfield News Herald (Marshfield, WI) 12/01/2010

Melvin, Ruth M. (8 JUL 1915 - 28 NOV 2010)

Ruth M. Melvin, 95, of Abbotsford passed away Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010, at her home in Abbotsford.

Her funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 3, 2010, at the First Presbyterian Church in Abbotsford. Visitation for family and friends will be held from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the service at the church. Interment will take place in Abbotsford Public Cemetery following the service.

Ruth was born on July 8, 1915, in Milwaukee to John and Edith (Waterman) Ockerlander. She graduated from Dorchester High School in 1933.

Ruth was joined in marriage to Francis J. Melvin on May 27, 1936, in Dorchester, and they settled in Abbotsford. They owned and operated Melvin Cos., which was founded in 1932. Ruth worked in the family business doing the bookkeeping and payroll for many years, retiring in 1974.

She also spent many winters in northern Wisconsin and upper Michigan, cooking for the Melvin "crew" while the company hauled logs in the winter to supplement its summer income. Through her many years of hard work, long hours and support, she helped their company grow from one location to the multi-faceted, multi-location organization it is today, providing central Wisconsin with quality concrete products, construction materials and services. She especially was proud when her grandson Eric Melvin joined Melvin Cos. in 2007, making it a third-generation business.

A woman of deep faith, Ruth was a member and an elder of the First Presbyterian Church in Abbotsford and was active in many of the women's groups, especially the Joy Circle. She loved to travel and was particularly fond of her "snow bird" winters in Arizona. A highlight of her travels took her to South Africa, where she toured the country and visited the foreign exchange student who had stayed with the Melvin family while attending Abbotsford High School in 1963. She also loved reading of any kind, cooking and tending to her garden. She loved flowers of all varieties and, with her green thumb, was able to keep them thriving for years. Most of all, she enjoyed spending time with her family (especially her grandchildren) and friends.