Details

Collection Summary
Collection: FND001 - SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Series: Tribute
Folder: DIG
Item: 271391
Title: Melvin Schramm
Date: 7/11/1933-12/10/2024
Creator:
Inscription/Marks: 7/11/1933
Summary: Melvin Schramm, 91, of Carrington, ND, passed away peacefully December 10, 2024, in Golden Acres Manor in Carrington. A Funeral Service was held December 16, 2024, at Calvary Baptist Church, Carrington. Burial was at the Lakeview Cemetery, Cathay, ND. Melvin Schramm was born on July 11, 1933, in Woodward Township, rural Cathay, to Elizabeth Kandt Schramm and Adolf Schramm. He was the youngest of six children. He grew up on the farm and attended the one-room school known as Woodward No. 1 through the seventh grade. His parents retired to Carrington, where Melvin completed the eighth and ninth grades. They then moved to Lodi, CA, where Melvin graduated from Lodi Union High School in 1951. After graduation, Melvin helped his brother, Rudy, on the family farm east of Cathay. In 1952, Rudy was drafted into the Army and Melvin operated the farm until his return. For several years they farmed together. On June 18, 1957, Melvin married Mary Bradsteen in Cathay Baptist Church. They started their married life together on the farm Melvin had purchased 2-1/2 miles from the farm where Melvin was born. Melvin and Mary operated a dairy and grain farm, where they raised their eight children. In 1961, they started selling bulk milk, and in 1962 they built a modern dairy barn with a milking parlor and then increased the number of cows from 25 to 85. They sold the dairy cows in 1981 and then Melvin raised replacement dairy heifers for 11 years to utilize his farmstead. He also fed out feeder pigs and custom-fed stock cows. Melvin and Mary moved to Carrington in 2006. Melvin was an avid sports fan. He played amateur baseball and basketball as a teenager and continued until his oldest son started playing organized sports. Melvin was a loyal Minnesota Twins and Vikings fan. He enjoyed watching his children play various sports through their high school and college years and then followed the sports activities of his grandchildren as they came along. Melvin accepted Christ and was baptized in First Baptist Church of Lodi. After he moved back to North Dakota, he was active in Cathay Baptist Church, serving as Sunday School superintendent for 28 years. When the Cathay church closed in 1995, Melvin and Mary joined Calvary Baptist Church in Carrington, where Melvin was Sunday School superintendent for another six years. He also served several terms as deacon and trustee. Melvin always had a “let’s get-er done attitude,” which got him elected as chairman or president of the many groups he joined. This gave him the opportunity to experience many exciting events, such as sitting next to then-President Ronald Reagan in a conference room in 1984. Some of the organizations to which Melvin was elected president or chairman were the Cathay PTA, Wells County National Farmers Organization, North Dakota National Farmers Organization, Carrington Quarterback Club, and Carrington Senior Citizens Club. He was chairman of Cathay Baptist Church when it closed and negotiated the deal to sell the building and its contents. While not chairman, he was on the Cathay School Board when the board decided to close the school in 1979. Melvin also joined the Carrington Ambulance squad as a transfer driver when he was 77 and served for five years. Melvin also worked for Polries- Marcotte Farms for 13 years as a seasonal worker. Melvin is survived by his wife, Mary; daughters, Jill (Craig) McCormack, Des Lacs, ND, Susan (Gary) Wold, Watford City, ND, Peggy (Reggie) Bettenhausen, Wishek, ND, Teresa (Mark) Forseth, Hillsboro, ND, and Maxine (Paul) Herr, Bismarck, ND; sons, Philip (Karin) Schramm, Arthur, ND, David (Carrie) Schramm, Yakima, WA, and Aaron (Becca) Schramm, Park River, ND. He also is survived by 23 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and numerous nephews and nieces. Melvin was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Rudolph; and sisters, Regina Pepple, Alma Schramm, Stella Bennett, and Vella Burzloff.
Red ID: FND_I_78882 Image ID: 518554 Image Notes: FND001 171391

Collection: FND001 Digitized Images from Collection
Title: SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Date: -

Summary: The North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program is sponsored by the North Dakota Funeral Directors Association. The life stories of deceased North Dakotans are featured in an archvied collection. Current partners in the project are Eastgate Funeral & Cremation Services, Bismarck Evans Funeral Homes, Carrington and New Rockford Everson-Coughlin Funeral Home, Williston Fulkerson Funeral Home, Tioga Fulkerson Funeral Home, Watford City Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home, Williston Nero Funeral Home, Bottineau Parkway Funeral Service, Bismarck Springan Stevenson Funeral Home, Stanley Stevenson Funeral Home, Dickinson These funeral homes provide recent obituaries to the Foundation, where staff and volunteers format, edit and archive each memorial. The memorials are posted, and copies are sent to the family for their input and approval. The listing currently features more than 13,000 memorials, and is constantly updated as new memorials and histories are received.

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