Anna Melby

Anna Mae Melby, age 93, resident of Detroit Lakes, MN, died peacefully at her home surrounded by her loved ones on March 13, 2009. Funeral Services for Anna will be 11:00 AM Friday, March 20, 2009 at Richwood Lutheran Church, rural Detroit Lakes. Interment will be at Richwood Lutheran Cemetery.

Visitation will be 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM with a Prayer Service at 7:00 PM Thursday, March 19 at the David-Donehower Funeral Home in Detroit Lakes. Visitation will continue at the church one hour prior to services on Friday.

Anna Mae Thorpe was born February 7, 1916 in Callaway, MN to Andrew and Patrina (Berg) Thorpe. She was raised in the Callaway area and attended school at District #44 in Hamden Township. She was united in marriage with Reuben Melby on May 28, 1939. Reuben and Anna made their home in Richwood, MN and moved to Detroit Lakes in 1948. Anna was a wonderful homemaker where she enjoyed baking cookies, doughnuts, and lefsa. When family and friends visited they would often leave with “goodies” to take home to their own families to cherish. Anna loved spending time with her husband, going hunting and fishing and more often than not, would be the one bringing home the larger catch. She was employed for 20 years with the Becker County Record and in addition, Anna would waitress for Mac’s Inn for wedding dances. She also previously worked as a waitress for Bunnell’s in Detroit Lakes

Anna Mae will be remembered and missed by her sons, Ronald Melby of Detroit Lakes, Richard (Linda) Melby of Granbury, TX; daughter, Patricia (Ray) Warren of Newton Grove, N.C.; 13 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; two brothers, Jerome (Marj) Leegard and Lyle (Hilda) Thorpe; one sister, Arlene Paulson. She was preceded in death by her husband, Reuben; parents; step-father and step-mother, Joe and Rena Leegard; two sisters, Violet and Gertrude; brothers, LeRoy Leegard and Ray Thorpe.