The funeral service for Melvin Clayton Bjerke, 87, Kathryn, North Dakota will be 2 pm Saturday, January 26 at Waldheim Lutheran Church, Kathryn. Visitation will be one hour before the service at the church. He passed away Tuesday, January 22, 2019 at Sanford Palliative Care, Fargo.
Melvin Clayton Bjerke was born June 11, 1931 in Norma Township, Barnes County, North Dakota to Christian and Mina (Maasjo) Bjerke. He was baptized in the Immanuel Lutheran Church, rural Fingal, and was confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church, Nome.
Melvin attended Norma #1, a one room country school, for three years until attending and graduating from Nome High School in 1949. He was united in marriage to Shirley Svestad on December 25, 1954 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Kathryn.
Melvin was employed by Collins Family Corporations for 19 years in Highway Construction. He then began as a rural-relief mail carrier and later became a full time rural mail carrier. He retired in November 2001 after 20 yrs.
He was a member of Waldheim Lutheran Church. Melvin taught Sunday school at Waldeim and St. Paul’s Lutheran Churches. He was a member of the Kathryn Fire Department and was instrumental in organizing the Kathryn – Rural Fire Department and then served as secretary-treasurer for 24 years. Melvin served as Oakhill Township treasurer for 12 years. He was employed as custodian and bus driver for Kathryn Public School and later served on the school board. He managed two of Barnes County parks for nine seasons and was a volunteer instructor for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department teaching hunter safety. He was also a member of Eagles.
He is survived by his wife, Shirley; sons Marty (Nicholle) Bjerke, and their daughters Leah & Laura, West Fargo, North Dakota, and Mitchell Bjerke and daughters, Cassidy, Danielle & Megyn, New Rockford, North Dakota; daughter, Stacie (Zac) Coleman, Kathryn; and a brother Edwin Bjerke, ND Veterans Home, Lisbon, North Dakota.
He was preceded in death by his parents, infant daughter and infant son; a brother Simon (Vivian) Bjerke; and sisters, Thelma (Henry) Larson, Eva (Odin) Pederson, Mabel (Lewis) Larson, Corrine (Ernest) Larson, Marcy (Marvin) Johnson and Loraine (Jervel) Moen.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Oliver-Nathan Funeral Chapel. An online guestbook is available at www.oliver-nathanchapel.com