Melvin Franklin Plaisted
Melvin Franklin Plaisted, age 94, a Columbia Basin pioneer and longtime Moses Lake farmer, passed away Saturday, February 18, 2012 at Hearthstone assisted living in Moses Lake, Washington. Funeral services will be at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, February 25, 2012 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Nelson Road Chapel, 1849 East Nelson Road, Moses Lake. Interment with Military Honors will follow at Pioneer Memorial Gardens. Friends who wish may call at the Nelson Road LDS Chapel on Friday evening, February 24th from 5 to 8 p.m., and on Saturday, February 25th from 11a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Melvin was born in Ashland, Oregon on December 30, 1917 to John Franklin Plaisted and Agnes Marie Paulson. Melvin spent his childhood and early years fishing, hunting and roaming the hills, woodlands and rivers around the Ashland and Roseburg, Oregon, area. He graduated from Roseburg High School in 1935. After High School, he served in the CCC's in Oregon, conducting fire watches, fighting forest fires and building roads and parks. His CCC unit was called up and transported to Annette Island, Alaska to assist in the construction of an airbase in the Aleutian Islands, prior to WWII. Shortly after the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, he, like many other young men, reported for duty. He was inducted at Fort Lewis, Washington in February of 1942 and assigned to the Army-Air Force. While stationed at Chanute Field, Illinois during WWII, he conducted a school to train combat pilots on the latest aircraft navigation instruments. There he met and courted Jeanne E. Sutter of Towanda, Illinois. They were married on July 21, 1945 at Eglin Field, Florida. After the war, he farmed with his father-in-law near Towanda, Illinois, and then moved back home to Oregon. His name was drawn in a veterans program for farmland in the newly completed Columbia Basin Irrigation Project. He moved to Moses Lake in 1953 with his bride and three children in tow, cleared his land of sagebrush, and started farming south of Moses Lake. His farm prospered and he continued to farm there until he retired, adding two more children along the way. His example of honesty and hard work provided valuable lessons in life for his family and posterity. He and his loving wife joined the LDS church in 1970, and they served for a number of years as temple workers in the Seattle Temple. He was a warm and loving father and friend to his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
His favorite pastimes were spending time with his large family, community dances and parties, farming, fishing, hunting and enjoying the mountains and outdoors. He remained an avid outdoorsman all his life. He was active and involved in the community, serving as Grange Master, Square Dance caller, 4-H leader, Water Master, Community Hunting program organizer, active in the LDS church, and a friend to all. The raspberry patch, large shady back yard, tree swing and swimming hole were a popular spot for neighborhood young and old alike. Being a do-it-yourselfer and a bit of an inventor, Melvin built from scratch, or made improvements to numerous farm equipment, shop fixtures, structures, and led the kids in building fun projects including mini-bikes, go-karts, rafts, a rowboat and much more.
Melvin was thoughtful, kind and generous; always uplifting and patient; gracious and charitable. He was well loved and will be missed by all who knew him.
He is survived by Jeanne Eleanor (Sutter) Plaisted, his beloved wife of 66 years, five children: Judy Carlson of Moses Lake, John Plaisted of Springville, Utah, James Plaisted of Richland, WA, Jeffrey Plaisted of Hot Springs, Montana, and Joseph Plaisted of Richland, WA; two sisters: Coral Abercrombie and Joan Cook, both of Eugene, Oregon; 23 grandchildren, 50 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by parents John Franklin Plaisted and Agnes Marie (Paulson) Plaisted, daughter Alice Joann Plaisted, sons Arthur Lewis Plaisted and Alan Lamont Plaisted; brothers Lloyd Plaisted, Wayne Plaisted, and Wendel (Mac) Plaisted; sisters Donna Bench and Pauline Matthews, grandson Chad Plaisted, granddaughter Melanie Plaisted, and great-grandson Aiden Plaisted.
Friends and family are invited to share memories and sign the family's on-line guest book at www.carverfamilyfuneralhome.com
Melvin's family has asked Carver Family Funeral Home to care for final arrangements.