Marcella O."Marcie" Melsted, age 86 of Mountain, ND died Sunday, October 19, 2008 at the Good Samaritan Center of Park River. Marcella Hanson was born March 3, 1922 to Morris and Betsy (Stenerson) Hanson of Mayville, ND. Marcella attended Mayville State University. She then spent two years in Washington D.C. working for the Office of Scientific Research and Development. She returned to North Dakota and completed her Bachelor of Science in Commerce Degree from the University of North Dakota in 1946. Her career included Foreign Service with the U.S. government in Norway and France at the American Embassies and the North Dakota Geological Survey.
Marcella married Alvin Melsted on June 6, 1965 and lived on the family farm near Edinburg, ND until 2003 when she moved to the Borg Home in Mountain. She had spent the past two years at the Good Samaritan Center in Park River, ND.
Marcella was a civic leader and involved all of her life in the following: American Association of University Women, State Life member of the North Dakota State Federation of Garden Clubs, North Dakota Extension Homemaker's Club, Gamma Phi Beta Social Sorority as a life member and named Outstanding Alum of the Year in Grand Forks in 1960; North Dakota China Painters Guild since 1968, serving as President; Pembina County Pioneer Daughter's; Gardar Ladies Aid; Eastern Star, Borg Memorial Home Auxiliary; American Legion Auxiliary; North Dakota Humanities Council; Friends of North Dakota Museum of Art in Grand Forks, Quad County Community Action Board and the American Business Women's Association.
Marcella received the Sioux Award for Distinguished Service and Outstanding Achievement from the Alumnae Association of the University of North Dakota May 25, 1995; she was appointed by the Governor of North Dakota to the Commission of Aging in 1960; she was appointed by the Governor of North Dakota to the Governor's Commission on the Status of Women in 1963; she was candidate for the North Dakota House of Representatives in 1974; she was appointed by the Governor of North Dakota as the first woman on the State Plumbing Board as Consumer Representative in 1983; she was the recipient of the Heritage Award from the Governor of North Dakota in 1983 in appreciation of her contribution to the people of the "Peace Garden State"; and elected to North Dakota Humanities Council in 1986 and served six years.
She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Alvin and brother Bernold Hanson. She is survived by her sister-in-law Marilyn Hanson of Midland, TX; two nephews: Bob Goldsmith of Eugene, OR and Eric Hanson of Midland, TX; two nieces: Karen Hanson-Flowers of Houston, TX and Gretchen Hanson Bakke of Midland, TX; as well as eight great nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held on Thursday, October 23, 2008 at 2:00 P.M. at the Pioneer Lutheran Church of Gardar, ND. Visitation will be Wednesday from 5-7 PM at the Tollefson Funeral Home of Edinburg. Friends may also call at the church on Thursday for one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be at the Gardar Cemetery.
The Tollefson Funeral Home of Edinburg is in charge of the arrangements.
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