Delmar "Dale" Melander passed away on Tuesday, April 28 at Shawnee Mission Hospital. Dale was born November 28, 1927, on a farm in Thayer County Nebraska to William Henry Christian Melander and Adeline Marie Peperkorn. He attended elementary school in Gilead, Nebraska and country schools around Hebron where he graduated in 1945. He was confirmed at Grace Lutheran Church at 14 in Hebron. In 1946 he and his best friend, Dick Mittan, moved to Republican City, Nebraska to work on the construction of the Harlan County Dam. This is where he met and married his wife, Chairy Melander. While in Republican City he helped his wife at an old-time switchboard, "Central," working evenings and weekends. Construction work took him to Abilene, Kansas in 1958 where he worked as a heavy equipment operator on various jobs including missile sites near to Salina. He was a member of Operating Engineers Local 101. In the 1960's he followed construction work to the Kansas City area where he worked on I-35, I-70, the Sports Complex, and KCI. In 1983 he went to work for North Supply Company, retiring in 1994. He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Abilene, a 25-year member of Redeemer Lutheran in Shawnee, and joined Faith Lutheran in Prairie Village in 1999. Dale was a dog lover, an avid Royal's fan, and a fan of college football and basketball. His allegiances to the University of Nebraska ended when they left the Big 12. Dale leaves to mourn his wife Chairy, daughter Stephanie (Dayl) Royer and her husband Rick, sister Janice Wulfekoetter and her husband Darold, a niece Bridget Boggs, a nephew Mitch Wulfekoetter, cousins, his beloved dog, Molly, and 3 grand-dogs. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Services

A Visitation is set for 6:00 - 8:00 PM. Friday, May 1, 2015 at Faith Lutheran Church at the corner of 67th street and Roe. A Memorial Service is set for 10:30 AM, Saturday May 2, 2015 also at the Church.

Contributions

Memorial Contributions in Dale's name may be made to Faith Lutheran Church or Great Plains SPCA.