Funeral services for Melvin E. Gruebele, age 72 of Elgin, will be 1:00pm Thursday, August 9, at the Evanson-Jensen Funeral Home in Elgin with Pastor Ken Trana, officiating. Burial will be in Zion Lutheran Cemetery with full military honors by the George W. Snook American Legion Post #246 of Elgin.


Serving as casketbearers are Darold and Dean Klein, Blaine Ottmar, Darwin Roth, Bo Dachtler, and Reinhold Gruebele.


MELVIN EDWARD GRUEBELE was born on July 12, 1935 at Elgin, ND to Edward and Emma (Nicklaus) Gruebele. He was baptized and confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in Elgin. He attended Elgin Public School and then worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad in California and with Boeing Aircraft in San Diego. He was inducted into the U.S. Army on August 27, 1957 and took his basic training at Fort Carson, CO and then sent to serve in Germany. He was discharged on August 21, 1959 and returned to Elgin and took over his parents farm which he operated until 1996. Melvin retired and then moved into Elgin. His farm and cattle were always his pride and joy. He made a trip to the farm each day to look at what went on.


He passed away suddenly on August 3, at his home in Elgin.


Surviving are his 2 sisters, Irene Klein, Mott, ND; Delores Klein, Hebron, ND; 1 brother, Edmund (Shirley) Gruebele, New Leipzig, ND; 1 niece, Deborah Roffler, Bismarck, ND; 2 nephews, Dean Klein, North Oakes, MN; Darold Klein, Bismarck, ND.


He was preceded in death by his parents.