Walter Joseph Mellem

Walter Joseph Mellem passed away on November 23, 2008 at Villa St. Vincent in Crookston, MN. He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Esther Judith Young Mellem, who died on April 27, 1991. He is survived by his sons Kenneth L. Mellem with wife JoAnn Helgeson Mellem; James W. Mellem with wife Kendall Kleen Mellem; and grandchildren Suzanne N. Mellem Bergstrom, Steven M. Mellem, Maren E. H. Mellem, and Christopher Y. Mellem. Walter Mellem was born in Grand Forks on September 28, 1914, to Olavus (Louis) and Johanne Juliusdatter (Jennie Juleson) Mellem as the youngest brother of Minda, Clarence, Edna, Oscar, Ella, Louis Albert, and Harold. Walt attended Belmont and Roosevelt Elementary Schools and graduated from Central High School in 1932. In about 1930, he lied about his age and joined Company M, 164th Infantry Regiment, North Dakota National Guard. Following high school, he drove city bus, where he meet his future wife Esther, and then went to work for the Great Northern Rail Road. He and Esther were married July 9, 1941 in Minnesota. During WWII, he went to Officer's Candidate School and was commissioned a second lieutenant. He served with the 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division in Europe and participated in the landing at Anzio, Italy and the invasion of southern France at St. Maxime. He finished the war at Munich, Germany and was posted at the Dachau concentration camp. Following WWII, he returned to the Great Northern Railroad, from which he retired in 1972. After the war, Walt stayed in the National Guard and became commander of Company M of the 164th Infantry Regiment in 1947. In 1951, Company M went on active duty for the Korean War, and Walt was stationed at Camp Rucker, Alabama, and at Fort Benning, Georgia. He attended the Engineering School at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and he became Commander of the 231st Engineer Battalion. He retired from the National Guard as a lieutenant colonel. Walt had a love of sports. In his youth, he was a ski jumper and won several trophies in regional competitions. He was an avid golfer and played many rounds at the Lincoln Golf Course. Walt took up downhill skiing in his 50s. He frequently spent weeks at the Big Mountain Ski Resort in Whitefish, MT. He gave up skiing in his early 80s, following surgery. Early in the 1960s, he started jogging, a hobby he enjoyed, along with roller-blading, into his early 90s. He played tennis at the Tennis Center and continued to be a regular visitor even when he was no longer able to play. For ten years he taught golf to UND students as a volunteer at Ray Richards GC. Walt was a life-long member of the United Lutheran Church. He was also a Mason, a 50-yr member of the Kem Temple, and belonged to the Elks Club, VFW, and other charitable organizations. Walt will be missed by his family and friends. Visitation and Viewing: 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, December 1, 2008 in Amundson Funeral Home, 2975 S. 42nd St., Grand Forks. Memorial Service: 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, December 2, 2008 in United Lutheran Church, 324 Chestnut St., Grand Forks. There will be no viewing in the church. Interment: Memorial Park Cemetery, Grand Forks. Memorials: are preferred to Villa St.Vincent Nursing Home, Crookston, Minnesota. On-line guest registration is available at www.amundsonfuneralhome.com