Pope, Melvin

1914 - 2006  (91 years)    Has no ancestors and no descendants in this family tree.

• Name	Pope, Melvin
  Born	14 Dec 1914
  Gender	Male
  Military Service	From 30 Sep 1943 to 1 Nov 1945
  WWII,
  Name: Melvin Pope Gender: Male Birth Date: 14 Dec 1914 Death Date: 16 Jul 2006 Branch 1: NAVY Enlistment Date 1: 30 Sep 1943 Release Date 1: 1 Nov 1945
  Died	16 Jul 2006
  Obituary	20 Jul 2006
  Appleton Post Crescent
  Melvin H. Pope was born Dec. 14, 1914, on a farm which is now the site of the Clayton School. He was the son of Louis and Helena Denkert Pope. Helena passed away during the flu epidemic in 1920. The Pope family moved to Appleton in 1924 where Melvin attended Appleton High School, graduating in 1932. He played trumpet in the high school band and was privileged to go to Washington D.C. and perform for President Hoover in 1929. He continued in music, playing dance music with the Charles Brinkley Orchestra until 1940. He also enjoyed playing baseball and softball in the local Industrial League and hardball with the Appleton Team in the Fox River League in the '30s. In 1939, he married Marion Rusch of Loyal, Wis. She passed away after 50 years of marriage. Melvin was called to service in 1943, training at Great Lakes. He was a member of the Bluejacket Choir that broadcast every week on radio. After being transferred to Rhode Island, he joined the 64 Naval Construction Batallion and played in the dance orchestra and marching band. After 13 months in the Hawaiian Islands and 14 months in the Philippines, he returned home. Melvin worked as a carpenter until retiring. In 1990 Melvin joined the local senior band where he met and married Dorothy Sturmer on May 29, 1993. Together with several other senior musicians, they became the "Melo Tones" and entertained for local and area nursing homes and other social events. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Pope, Oshkosh, Wis.; two children, Judith (David) Weiss, Omro, Wis.; Laurel (Michael) Parker, Pittsboro N.C.; five stepchildren, Sandra (Warren) Mottl, Cedar Falls, Iowa; Dorothy (Jeff) Bergner, Plainfield, Ill.; Mary (Donald) Toby, Oshkosh, Wis.; Patrick (Lynn) Sturmer, Wausaukee, Wis.; Matthew Sturmer, Mendota Heights, Minn.; three grandchildren, Major Aaron (Suzanne) Weiss, Carlsbad, Calif.; Daniel (Krista) Weiss of Colorado Springs, Colo.; Rebekah (Andrew) Sell, Colorado Springs, Colo.; and 12 stepgrandchildren, Tony (Paula) Way, Larsen, Wis.; Andrew Way, Watertown, N.Y.; Emily Bergner, Plainfield, Ill.; Molly (Wes) McClain, Alexandria, Va.; Daniel Bergner, Chicago, Ill.; Janine (Tim) Krajnik, Green Bay, Wis.; Nicole (Michael) White, Green Bay, Wis.; Staci Sturmer, Wausaukee, Wis.; Brice Sturmer, Wausaukee, Wis.; Mallory Sturmer, Mendota Heights, Minn.; Justine Sturmer, Chicago, Ill.; and Paul Sturmer, Mendota Heights, Minn. Melvin was blessed to have six great-grandchildren and many friends and relatives who loved him dearly. Melvin was preceded in death by his wife, Marion; his brother, Norman; and his sister-in-law, Carmen. A memorial fund has been established. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, July 22, 2006, at 11 a.m. at Bethel Home Chapel with Rev. Nathan Ericson officiating. Visitation will be held on Saturday at Bethel Home from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the service. Burial will follow the funeral at Lake View Memorial Park where full military honors will take place. The family would like to thank Bethel Home and Aurora Hospice for the excellent care. Konrad-Behlman
  Reference Number	4922
  Person ID	I314076	1FamilyTree
  Last Modified	2 Sep 2018