- Date Of Birth: May 10, 1923
- Date Of Death: December 10, 2015
- State: Idaho
Melvin Lagoon; Son, Brother, Soldier, Husband, Father, Trucker, Entrepreneur, Uncle, Friend, Grandfather, Great-Grandfather – these are just some of the names by which Melvin was known. To us he was Dad or Grandpa; always there to help, advise, hug, joke, and mostly love. Most of us can picture him in a white T-shirt and jeans preparing to work on one project or another, whether it was for himself, or just as likely, to help someone else. We know he is in a better place, resting comfortably, but still we miss him greatly. As Dad used to always say, “We Lagoon’s wear our hearts on our sleeves.”
Melvin grew up on the plains of Minnesota in a large family of twelve brothers and sisters, he being the oldest. When World War II started, Melvin was there. As an Army soldier in the 17th Airborne, Melvin took part in two of the most important campaigns of the war: The Battle of the Bulge in Belgium, and Operation Varsity in Germany. Seeing the horrors of war, Melvin made himself a promise; that if he survived he would lead a good life. And that is just what he did! In 1945, Melvin married his childhood sweetheart, Jane Vincent. Together, hand in hand, for the past 70 years, they have raised four children, Donald, Diane, Daniel, and Darlene. They in turn have provided Mel and Jane with spouses, Jeree, Scott (Clark), Kitten, and Joe (Marushack), who love and respect them as if they were their own parents.
After a life full of love and joy, Melvin passed away peacefully at age 92, in St. Luke’s Hospital in Meridian, Idaho the morning of December 10, 2015.
