Boyens, Melvin Wesley

Melvin Wesley Boyens, 86, died Sunday, Sept. 12, 2010, in Hallmark Care and Rehabilitation Center, Mount Vernon, from complications due to congestive heart failure. Melvin's viewing and visitation will from 5 to 7:30 p.m. today at Morgan Funeral Home in Mount Vernon. Melvin's funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, at the funeral home with Pastor Linda Livingston officiating. A visitation and viewing will take place at Huebner's Funeral Home in Denison, Iowa, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, with a graveside service to follow at the Crawford Memory Gardens Cemetery, Denison.

Surviving Melvin are his children, Kelvin and Kevin of Marion, and Karla Kesselring of Council Bluffs; a special nephew, Ronald Clingenpeel of Cedar Rapids; and six grandchildren, Michael Matejka, Jennifer Boyens, Steven and James Kesselring, Michael Boyens and Ryan Barta.

Also surviving are many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Preceding Melvin in death were his parents; his wife, Verla Mae Clingenpeel Boyens; and two grandchildren, Angel Boyens and Angela Kesselring.

Melvin was born April 27, 1924, in Denison, Iowa, the only child of Edward H. Boyens and Elizabeth Jaacks Boyens. He served in the Iowa National Guard during the Korean War and was honorably discharged as a sergeant in 1954.

After his military service, he had many jobs as a farm hand and truck driver. He spent most of his adult life as a journeyman carpenter and worked at Nelson Manufacturing in Cedar Rapids, until he retired in his mid-70s.

Melvin never met a person he didn't like. He had a wonderful sense of humor and was never happier than when he could pull your leg about something. There was also never a meal served that he didn't enjoy and a lot of his favorite times involved the gathering of friends and family for cards and games. In their later years, Mel and Verla did a lot of traveling with the bus tour group from the Mount Vernon Bank and Trust. They went from Washington DC to Washington State with this group and developed many lasting friendships.

Memorials may be directed to St Paul's Lutheran Church in Mount Vernon.