| Sources |
- [S888] Social Security Death Index 1935 - Current, (www.ancestry.com).
Name: Walter H. Mehlhaff
SSN: 503-34-0531
Last Residence: 58495 Wishek, McIntosh, North Dakota
Born: 9 Aug 1928
Died: 22 Nov 2009
State (Year) SSN issued: South Dakota (1951-1952)
- [S927] Obituary.
Walter H. Mehlhaff died peacefully Nov. 22, 2009, at Wishek Community Hospital. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 27, at St. Luke Lutheran Church, Wishek. Burial will be held Monday in the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan.
Visitation will be held from 3 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Dahlstrom Funeral Home, Wishek, with a prayer service at 7:30 p.m.
Walter Henry Mehlhaff was born Aug. 9, 1928, near Hosmer, S.D., the son of Henry and Marie (Hieb) Mehlhaff. He grew up on the family farm and attended grade school graduating from eighth grade in 1939. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Dec. 15, 1951, and was trained as a diesel power generator mechanic serving at Camp Pendledton, Calif., during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged from active duty Dec. 2, 1953, and returned to the family farm in South Dakota, where he used his mechanical skills to help his brothers and mother operate the farm. He moved to Wishek in March 1954, where he was employed by Roth Bros. IH Implement as a diesel mechanic.
He married the love of his life, Yvonne I. Voegele, on Dec. 21, 1954, at Leola, S.D. They made their home in Wishek where together they worked and raised their family, leaving only for three years from March 1960 to March 1963 to reside in Gackle, where he was employed by Remboldt Implement as their shop foreman. Upon returning to Wishek, he was employed by R&W Implement and later Raile Equipment until Dec. 31, 1969, when he retired from the mechanic profession.
In March 1970, he became an MFS dealer and started the family construction business dba Mehlhaff Construction. Initially, the business was agricultural grain storage and handling and continued to expand into slant wall and later straight wall building construction. He continued to expand and grow his business into the commercial general construction sector doing complete turn key construction projects as well as property development in Wishek and the surrounding areas. He retired in 1998, but continued to do smaller scale projects for friends and customers, never really fully retiring.
He was a member of St. Luke Lutheran Church. Walter was a lifetime member of the American Legion serving over 50 years with Fred Kelle Post No. 87 in Wishek, he was a member of Wishek Drum & Bugle Corps and was selected as a member of the 40 et. 8 Voiture 291 of Bismarck. He was instrumental in the design and construction of the Veterans Memorial located at the Wishek City Park and continued the maintenance of the Memorial until his passing. He was a man of many talents and succeeded at everything he undertook. He had the ability to develop friendships with people regardless of age, gender or ethnicity and had a vast array of friends both personal and professionally. He served his community well not only as a good citizen, and business man but also as a thoughtful current city councilman, also serving a previous term.
He enjoyed camping, traveling, polka fests, family vacations, visits to his son?s jobsites, attending fairs and community celebrations always looking forward to the visits and fellowship with friends, relatives and acquaintances. His hobby and passion in his golden years was restoring antique John Deere and IH tractors and entering his works in displays and parades. His most important love and passion were his wife, children and granddaughter, always making time to give a helping hand, travel, call or write and make sure his family was in good care.
He is survived by his wife, Yvonne, Wishek; one son, Craig A. and Laurel, Jamestown; one daughter, Mary LaPort and Dave, Rochert, Minn.; one granddaughter, Heather Marie LaPort, Rochert; two sisters, Florence Schock, Leola, and Esther (Alvin) Ottenbacher, Aberdeen, S.D.; two brothers, Edward Mehlhaff, Aberdeen, and Arnold (Joanne) Mehlhoff, Aberdeen; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers Ervin and Harold; and two sisters-in-law, Shirley Mehlhaff and Verna Mehlhaff; one brother-in-law, John Schock; and one son-in-law, John LaPort.
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1928 - 2009 (81 years)