Melvin Wilbur Howard passed away peacefully at St. Joseph Hospital on July 3rd, 2019 after a brief illness. He was born on March 18, 1931, the only child of Wilbur and Mary Howard of South Bend, Indiana, who preceded him in death. Melvin graduated from Riley High School and earned a musical scholarship for playing the clarinet and other instruments. He was married to Doris Virginia Courtney on January 14, 1967. They lived most of their married life in Mishawaka, IN, but also resided in Dublin, GA. Melvin was a member of Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall in Mishawaka.
Melvin is survived by his wife of 52 years, Doris Howard. He was loved and respected by his five children; Tony Landis (wife Terry) of Elkhart, IN; Ronald Gember of St. Petersburg, FL; Marcia Yrineo of South Bend, IN; Larry Howard of High Point, NC; and Kelly Howard (preceded in death) (wife Sandy) of Hays, NC.
Melvin had 14 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren.
Melvin started his career at Studebaker in South Bend. He went to Ball Band in Mishawaka and was promoted to Assistant Plant Manager at Uniroyal in Dublin, GA when Ball Band closed. He moved back to Indiana a few years later and opened Mel’s Body Shop for a brief period, then worked at Midas and Mini-Blind a short time, and finally settled into 14 years working for Laidig in Mishawaka, until his retirement in 1999. Laidig rewarded Mel and Doris with a cruise in appreciation for his hard work and dedication.
Melvin enjoyed league bowling and swimming and was a member of the Turners of Michiana gymnastics club when he was a young man. He played “Stranger on the Shore” on the clarinet as a bedtime story for his kids when they were little. He was a Get-R-Done kind of guy and a perfectionist at everything he attempted, constantly taking broken things apart and fixing them. His memory was remarkable, and his sharing of knowledge generous. He was a bird lover, and enjoyed numerous dogs and kittens over the years. He loved gardening and often experimented with both flowers and food plants. He cross bred Rose of Sharon flowering trees, developing new colors. His last experiment was with rhubarb. In addition to gardening, his favorite hobby was fishing and he enjoyed collecting fishing gear. He had his own worm farm, breeding night crawlers for many years.
Funeral will be held on Wednesday, July 10, 2019 at 2 p.m. at Chapel Hill Funeral Home, 10776 McKinley Hwy., Osceola, IN. Friends may call from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday. To share a remembrance of Melvin or to offer condolences to his family, please visit www.chapelhillmemorial.com.
Melvin is survived by his wife of 52 years, Doris Howard. He was loved and respected by his five children; Tony Landis (wife Terry) of Elkhart, IN; Ronald Gember of St. Petersburg, FL; Marcia Yrineo of South Bend, IN; Larry Howard of High Point, NC; and Kelly Howard (preceded in death) (wife Sandy) of Hays, NC.
Melvin had 14 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren.
Melvin started his career at Studebaker in South Bend. He went to Ball Band in Mishawaka and was promoted to Assistant Plant Manager at Uniroyal in Dublin, GA when Ball Band closed. He moved back to Indiana a few years later and opened Mel’s Body Shop for a brief period, then worked at Midas and Mini-Blind a short time, and finally settled into 14 years working for Laidig in Mishawaka, until his retirement in 1999. Laidig rewarded Mel and Doris with a cruise in appreciation for his hard work and dedication.
Melvin enjoyed league bowling and swimming and was a member of the Turners of Michiana gymnastics club when he was a young man. He played “Stranger on the Shore” on the clarinet as a bedtime story for his kids when they were little. He was a Get-R-Done kind of guy and a perfectionist at everything he attempted, constantly taking broken things apart and fixing them. His memory was remarkable, and his sharing of knowledge generous. He was a bird lover, and enjoyed numerous dogs and kittens over the years. He loved gardening and often experimented with both flowers and food plants. He cross bred Rose of Sharon flowering trees, developing new colors. His last experiment was with rhubarb. In addition to gardening, his favorite hobby was fishing and he enjoyed collecting fishing gear. He had his own worm farm, breeding night crawlers for many years.
Funeral will be held on Wednesday, July 10, 2019 at 2 p.m. at Chapel Hill Funeral Home, 10776 McKinley Hwy., Osceola, IN. Friends may call from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday. To share a remembrance of Melvin or to offer condolences to his family, please visit www.chapelhillmemorial.com.
Melvin Wilbur Howard passed away peacefully at St. Joseph Hospital on July 3rd, 2019 after a brief illness. He was born on March 18, 1931, the only child of Wilbur and Mary Howard of South Bend, Indiana, who preceded him in death. Melvin graduated from Riley High School and earned a musical scholarship for playing the clarinet and other instruments. He was married to Doris Virginia Courtney on January 14, 1967. They lived most of their married life in Mishawaka, IN, but also resided in Dublin, GA. Melvin was a member of Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall in Mishawaka.
Melvin is survived by his wife of 52 years, Doris Howard. He was loved and respected by his five children; Tony Landis (wife Terry) of Elkhart, IN; Ronald Gember of St. Petersburg, FL; Marcia Yrineo of South Bend, IN; Larry Howard of High Point, NC; and Kelly Howard (preceded in death) (wife Sandy) of Hays, NC.
Melvin had 14 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren.
Melvin started his career at Studebaker in South Bend. He went to Ball Band in Mishawaka and was promoted to Assistant Plant Manager at Uniroyal in Dublin, GA when Ball Band closed. He moved back to Indiana a few years later and opened Mel’s Body Shop for a brief period, then worked at Midas and Mini-Blind a short time, and finally settled into 14 years working for Laidig in Mishawaka, until his retirement in 1999. Laidig rewarded Mel and Doris with a cruise in appreciation for his hard work and dedication.
Melvin enjoyed league bowling and swimming and was a member of the Turners of Michiana gymnastics club when he was a young man. He played “Stranger on the Shore” on the clarinet as a bedtime story for his kids when they were little. He was a Get-R-Done kind of guy and a perfectionist at everything he attempted, constantly taking broken things apart and fixing them. His memory was remarkable, and his sharing of knowledge generous. He was a bird lover, and enjoyed numerous dogs and kittens over the years. He loved gardening and often experimented with both flowers and food plants. He cross bred Rose of Sharon flowering trees, developing new colors. His last experiment was with rhubarb. In addition to gardening, his favorite hobby was fishing and he enjoyed collecting fishing gear. He had his own worm farm, breeding night crawlers for many years.
Funeral will be held on Wednesday, July 10, 2019 at 2 p.m. at Chapel Hill Funeral Home, 10776 McKinley Hwy., Osceola, IN. Friends may call from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday. To share a remembrance of Melvin or to offer condolences to his family, please visit www.chapelhillmemorial.com.
Melvin is survived by his wife of 52 years, Doris Howard. He was loved and respected by his five children; Tony Landis (wife Terry) of Elkhart, IN; Ronald Gember of St. Petersburg, FL; Marcia Yrineo of South Bend, IN; Larry Howard of High Point, NC; and Kelly Howard (preceded in death) (wife Sandy) of Hays, NC.
Melvin had 14 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren.
Melvin started his career at Studebaker in South Bend. He went to Ball Band in Mishawaka and was promoted to Assistant Plant Manager at Uniroyal in Dublin, GA when Ball Band closed. He moved back to Indiana a few years later and opened Mel’s Body Shop for a brief period, then worked at Midas and Mini-Blind a short time, and finally settled into 14 years working for Laidig in Mishawaka, until his retirement in 1999. Laidig rewarded Mel and Doris with a cruise in appreciation for his hard work and dedication.
Melvin enjoyed league bowling and swimming and was a member of the Turners of Michiana gymnastics club when he was a young man. He played “Stranger on the Shore” on the clarinet as a bedtime story for his kids when they were little. He was a Get-R-Done kind of guy and a perfectionist at everything he attempted, constantly taking broken things apart and fixing them. His memory was remarkable, and his sharing of knowledge generous. He was a bird lover, and enjoyed numerous dogs and kittens over the years. He loved gardening and often experimented with both flowers and food plants. He cross bred Rose of Sharon flowering trees, developing new colors. His last experiment was with rhubarb. In addition to gardening, his favorite hobby was fishing and he enjoyed collecting fishing gear. He had his own worm farm, breeding night crawlers for many years.
Funeral will be held on Wednesday, July 10, 2019 at 2 p.m. at Chapel Hill Funeral Home, 10776 McKinley Hwy., Osceola, IN. Friends may call from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday. To share a remembrance of Melvin or to offer condolences to his family, please visit www.chapelhillmemorial.com.
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