Melvin Carlson, a longtime resident of both Aberdeen, and Lead, SD, passed away on September 16, 2021. Melvin was a machinist by trade, a chemist by profession, and a salesman by choice.

Melvin was born near Glenburn, ND, on May 16, 1923, he was the fifth child of William Carlson and Esther Cecelia Wilson. He attended a one room school house a mile from his home for nine years, where he was advised to take up skiing as part of his physical education. However, because there were no hills nearby, he chose to go down the road behind a horse or Model T.

At the age of 18, Melvin tried to enlist in the US Air Force. At the time he only weighed 105 lbs. and was subsequently rejected, so he instead continued attending Minot, ND, Senior High School, graduating in 1942. He then enrolled at a National Youth Administration trade school in Bismarck, ND, graduated, joined the Advanced Naval Training School in Seattle, WA, and got his first job at the Naval Torpedo Plant in Poulsbo, WA. In 1943, Melvin tried to enlist again, this time in the US Submarine Corp, where he was rejected because his pulse was too high. Finally, he enlisted in the Navy, was accepted for PT duty, and was assigned to the Naval Base at Farragut, ID. Melvin was then one of two applicants out of 199 that scored high enough to join the Navy Service School in Norfolk, VA, eventually graduating at the top of his class.

Melvin was then assigned to PT Squadron 34, receiving training at Melville, RI and Miami, FL, and afterward joined a 50-ship convoy headed to England in 1944. Despite having U boats attack the convoy for two and a half days, he arrived safely in Liverpool, England on his twenty-first birthday. During WWII, PT Squadron 34 saw action at Cherbourg, France, St. Nazaire, France and the D-Day invasion at Normandy. Following D-Day, Melvin landed in Le Havre, France and was tasked with handing out tins of coffee to the locals to build goodwill.
After an honorable discharge, Melvin returned home and enrolled at Minot State Teachers College. He transferred to the University of Minnesota and graduated with distinction in 1950 with a B. S. in Agricultural Chemistry. He spent ten years working in the dairy industry before starting a fire equipment distribution business in 1960. The business expanded operations to five states before Melvin sold it in 1991 upon his retirement.

A lover of the outdoors, Melvin hunted grouse, pheasants, geese, antelope, deer, elk and moose, often with his three sons. He retired near the Deer Mountain Ski Resort and actively skied until his early eighties, smiling as his grandchildren tried to keep up with him.

Melvin is survived by Bertha, his loving wife of 69 years; two sons, one daughter, eight grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, September, 30, 2021 at Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis, SD.

Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m. on Friday, October 1, 2021, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Lead, SD. Interment will follow at Black Hills National cemetery near Sturgis, SD, with military honors.

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