Click here to view the Mass for Mel & Dee

UPDATE.. June 1, 2021

The Memorial Service for Mel and Dee will be held at 10:30am MT Saturday, July 3, 2021 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Lemmon.

A public visitation will be held from 1:00pm to 7:00pm with a Rosary Service at 4:30pm on Friday afternoon, July 2, 2021 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Lemmon.

Update.. June 28, 2021 The family requests that masks be worn in the church during the service by those who are NOT vaccinated.

The Memorial Service will be livestreamed on the website www.evansonjensenfuneralhome.com and going to Mel and Dee's obituary and clicking on "view livesteam service here".

Delaine "Dee" May Maxon and Melvin "Mel" Joseph Maxon, high school sweethearts, were married on July 6, 1953 in McLaughlin, South Dakota and were married 67 years before COVID complications took their lives in December 2020.  Mel, age 86, died on December 11 at Monument hospital in Rapid City, SD.  Dee, age 85, died December 13 at West River Regional Health Center in Hettinger, ND.

Mel was born October 19, 1934 to Laurence and Mary (Ament) Maxon at Athboy, SD.  In 1939, the family moved to a ranch 7 miles south of McLaughlin, SD.  Mel grew up with a big family and his children grew up with many interesting and funny stories from life on the ranch.  One of the songs he often sang to his kids was "Ghost Riders in the Sky."  He was also an excellent yodeler and some of the kids have fond memories of his yodeling on the way to school.

Mel loved basketball. He played with the McLaughlin Midgets in high school and with the Wolves and the legendary Bob Wachs at Northern State College.  He played with the amateur basketball league for 30 years, assisting the Lemmon and Hettinger teams win in the state tournaments for SD and ND and was inducted into the SD Amateur Hall of Fame in 2000.  He coached basketball, football and track throughout his educational career in Gettysburg and Lemmon and received a 25 year coaching award from the South Dakota High School Coaches Association in 1986 at the State A Basketball Tournament.  Mel also loved golf and was proud to have two "hole-in-ones".  A real card shark, he enjoyed playing rummy, pinochle and bridge and was a regular at the rummy table on Friday night at the Legion.

Mel accepted his first position in 1958 with the Gettysburg Public School System.  In 1965 he accepted a job with the Lemmon Public School system to teach, coach and serve as the Athletic Director.  In 1990 he became high school principal and was chosen Administrator of the year by the South Dakota Association of Student Councils in 1993.  In 1997 he was chosen Region Principal of the Year by the South Dakota Association of Secondary Principals.  He retired from the school system in 1999.  Mel was popular with the students in all of his roles as a teacher, coach and principal.  LHS students have shared many positive comments and stories over the years.

During the summer months Mel worked as a crop adjuster for Federal Crop Insurance for 28 years.  He and Dee managed the Lemmon Country Club and Golf Course with their friends, Bill and Dee Kohn, for three years during the summer season.  Mel also was the auditor for the Municipal Liquor Store and Ranger Bar for a number of years.

Mel's community service activities included: President of the Country Club Golf Course, President of Lion's Club, member of the Board of Directors for Five Counties Hospital and Nursing Home, member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, serving on the Church Council, in the church choir, and as Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus.  In 2002 he was recognized by Modern Woodmen of America for contributions of volunteer community service.

Dee was born November 17, 1935 to Jacob and Selma (Dockter) Dietrich at McLaughlin, SD and grew up on her parents' farm 17 miles east of McLaughlin.

Dee was a working mom while Mel earned his college degree, raising three young girls while working as a secretary.  She took some time off from the work world as the  family  grew  to  seven  and  was  a  great  cook serving up food from her German-Russian heritage (borscht, stroodles, keekla and kuken) and fresh baked treats were usually waiting for her kids when they came home from school.  Her children and their friends have fond memories of after school treats and late night raids of the refrigerator for her leftovers.

She was a creative seamstress, sewing her daughters matching dresses (including one set made from a prom dress she wore) and later kept the Barbie and Ken dolls well-stocked with clothes.  Dee knit each of her kids and grandkids a personalized Christmas stocking,   did ceramics, and planned fun activities for her sons' Cub Scout troop when she served as Den Mother.  She loved playing cards, especially bridge and pinochle.

Dee inherited her mother's kindness and concern for others as well as her strong commitment to family ties.  Her parents, Jacob and Selma, moved to a small home across the alley so she could care for them and her sister, Lorraine, moved to Lemmon for Dee's support.  Newcomers to Lemmon who needed extra help could count on Dee and her loving support was also given to students who joined the household while attending high school.

Dee served as the Food Stamp Cashier for Perkins County when the program began in 1967 until the program was integrated into the grocery stores.   She also worked for Wheeler Mfg. Jewelry Company for 30 years, retiring in 1999.

Like Mel, Dee was a member of St. Mary's church and was active in St. Mary's Altar Society, St. Anne's Circle, and the Catholic Daughters of America.  She was a member of Five Counties Hospital Auxiliary, served as Treasurer, and also worked in the Hospital Auxiliary's Thrift Shop.

Mel and Dee cherished spending time with their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, often making trips to visit them for school events, sight-seeing and enjoying time together. They also enjoyed traveling on bus tours to various parts of the country and made a trip to Germany to see a new country and were fortunate enough to spend a day with Dee's Russian-speaking family with the help of a local host and interpreter.

They are survived by their four daughters Julie (Galen) Balster; Alexandria, VA; Holly (Joseph) Langenfeld, Falls Church, VA; Kristy (Darren) Messner, Belle Fourche, SD; and Michele (Thomas) Webb, Friendswood, TX; two sons, Brett (Aslam) Maxon, Maple Grove, MN; Jeffrey (Jacki) Maxon, Burnsville, MN; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren; Dee's two brothers, Les and Kenny; Mel's two sisters, Marilyn and Kate, and a brother, George.

They were preceded in death by a daughter, Brenda Nelson; Dee's parents, Selma and Jacob Dietrich, three sisters (Aurelia, Lucy and Lorraine), and four brothers (Elmer, Martin, Marvin, Jay and Elwood); Mel's parents, Mary and Laurence Maxon, two sisters (Arlene and Lois), and six brothers (Bud, Dick, Lyle, Frank, Charles, and Kenny).

The family of Mel and Dee Maxon are saddened to have lost the north stars of their existence.   Their caring love and guidance was given far beyond their family.  In keeping with their generous spirit, a Maxon fund will be established to benefit the LHS community; donations can be made to the Lemmon School District with a note in the memo indicating Maxon Fund. Gifts and cards in their memory may be sent to: Michele Webb,  1909 LaSalle St., Friendswood, TX  77546

A special note from the children. . .

The town of Lemmon, their friends, co-workers, neighbors, and the community-at-large meant so much to Dee and Mel.  We sometimes invited them to move near us, but they loved their Lemmon community.  We would like to thank you for always being there for them, especially during December when extra help was so important.