Melvin W Reinschmidt

Melvin W. Mel Reinschmidt, age 99, a longtime resident and former Mayor of Clark, died at Clark early Tuesday, January 4, 2011, in the Golden Living Center at Clark. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 8, 2011 at 11AM in the United Methodist Church at Clark with The Reverend Dayne Zachrison officiating. Burial will follow in the Rose Hill Cemetery at Clark. Dorothy Fuller will be the organist with Roger Nordhus singing, The Old Rugged Cross and One Day at a Time. The congregation will sing Amazing Grace. The active casketbearers will be John Reinschmidt, Reg Nelsen, Gary McDonald and Shane Andresen. The honorary casketbearers will be Dawn, Julia & Nathan Andresen, Lisa, Drew, Aly & Anna Reinschmidt, Kristin, Toby, Chandler, Grady, Daisey & Levi Vazquez and Michael, Victorie & Dylan Darnley. Visitation will be held on Friday from 6-8PM at the Furness Funeral Home at Clark and 1 hour preceding services at the Church on Saturday morning. Melvin Reinschmidt was born on December 23, 1911 in Blunt, SD, the son of John & Peggy Reinschmidt. He attended school in Blunt and after his schooling he was united in marriage to Edna Howard of Blunt on August 2, 1936. Following their marriage they continued living in Blunt until moving to Bryant in 1945 where they owned and operated Mels Place. In 1950 the couple moved to Clark where they owned and operated the Clark Jewelry Store until 1962. Melvin had taken training in Chicago in the jewelry business. In 1962 they purchased the Clark Abstract and Title Company, a business they owned and operated until retiring in 1977. The continued making their home in Clark, eventually moving in to the apartments at the Wookey Assisted Living Center and then after Ednas death, Mel became a resident of the Wookey Assisted Living Center and in April of 2010, he became a resident of the Golden Living Center. Melvin was very active in many civic organizations in Clark among them being the Clark Chamber of Commerce, the Clark Rotary Club, a member of the Free and Accepted Masons for over 75 years and the Clark Development Corp. He served on the Clark City Council from 1953-1975 and then served as the Mayor of Clark from 1982-1986. He enjoyed many years of pheasant hunting and golfing, but second to none was his love of family. He was a member of the United Methodist Church. Grateful for having shared his life are his children, Helen (Michael) Darnley of Ramona, CA and John (Karol) Reinschmidt of Watertown, SD, 4 grandchildren, Michael (Victorie) Darnley, Kristin (Toby) Vazquez, Dawn (Shane) Andresen and John P. (Lisa) Reinschmidt and 10 great-grandchildren, Dylan Darnley, Chandler, Grady, Daisey and Levi Vazquez, Drew, Aly & Anna Reinschmidt and Julia & Nathan Andresen. Preceding him in death were his parents, his wife Edna who died January 18, 2005 and a brother, Victor. Arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an on-lined registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com