Carl R. Melcher

Carl R. Melcher, age 89, formerly of Odessa, Wash., passed away on June 14, 2004, in Moses Lake, Wash.

Carl R. Melcher, the son of Henry and Katherine Kammerzel Melcher was born February 6, 1915 at Odessa, Wash. He attended country school before beginning his lifetime of farming.

Carl married Yetta Greenwalt October 10, 1937 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church at Menno, Wash. Together they made their home and raised their family on the farm 23 miles southwest of Odessa. They moved to Moses Lake in 1999.

Surviving is: his wife, Yetta of Moses Lake; a son, Gordon Melcher and wife, Alice of Moses Lake; a daughter, Alice Kanzler and husband, Gilbert of Ritzville; two sisters, Eleanor Schell of Ritzville and Clara Becker of Sprague; five grandchildren, Jeff and Rodney Melcher, Lisa Hays, Kim Holt and Teresa Lebsack; and five great-grandchildren, Nathan and Alexis Melcher, Emilee and Ben Holt and Trista Lebsack.

Carl was preceded in death by 13 brothers and sisters.

He was a member of the Odessa Grange and a member of Zion-Emmanuel Church of Odessa.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, June 17, 2004 at 11 a.m. at Zion-Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Odessa, with the Reverend Donald G. Smith officiating. Vault interment will follow at the Odessa Cemetery.

Danekas Funeral Home, Ritzville, Wash. is in charge of funeral arrangements. The family suggests memorial contributions be made to Zion-Emmanuel Lutheran Church of Odessa.

Mr. Melcher will lie in state at the Danekas Funeral Home on Wednesday, from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.