Visitation for Melvin A. Redig, 101, of Storm Lake, will be held Friday, March 17, 2023 at the Redig Funeral Home in Aurelia from 4:00 until 7:00 P.M. A private family interment will take place at the Storm Lake Cemetery. The Redig Funeral Home in Aurelia is in charge of arrangements.

Melvin Anton Redig was born on February 12, 1922 in Arcadia, Iowa, on the family farm, the oldest child of Rudolph Joseph and Francis Margaret (Voege) Redig. He attended school in Vail, Iowa and also Westside before the family lost their farm in the depression when they moved to Napa, Idaho. The family came to Storm Lake in 1938, and Melvin graduated from Storm Lake High School in 1940.  Melvin purchased a rebuilt 1939 Ford right out of high school for $11.00. He drove that car out to Baltimore, Maryland where he applied for a job at Glenn L. Martin Air Craft factory. They did not need anyone right then so he ended up in Omaha, Nebraska working for Armour Packing Plant running a wheelbarrow and a shovel to scoop the raw SPAM into the cookers for canning. He worked the summer there because Armour had a big contract with Russia. While in Omaha he took the Civil Service Test and was then sent to Des Moines for Signal Core training.  While in Des Moines he enlisted in the US Army on November 18, 1942. When he went into the service he gave the car to his brother, it never cost him anything more than gas and oil changes. He was shipped to England on the Queen Mary with the 278th Port Battalion, he claims he spent more time on water than his brother did being in the Navy. The ship he was on going to the D-Day invasion was caught up in the worst storm recorded in 45 years. They lost both anchors and returned to England to get aboard a different ship.  When they landed with that ship his job was unloading the ship with supplies for the earlier invasion. Melvin was Honorably Discharged on December 20, 1945. He purchased the property on East Lake Shore Drive, building Redig’s Conoco Gas & Service Station and ran a wrecker service also. Melvin married Elizabeth Marie (Betty) Pedersen on September 27, 1948 at the St. Mary’s Rectory.  After becoming allergic to brake dust while working as a mechanic at the service station he purchased a dump truck and a tractor, and started Redig Excavation which he operated until he was 72. He installed many water systems and sewer systems for towns like Washta, Swaledale, Clare, and he put in the footings, water, sewer lines, drive ways, sidewalks, and planted the trees on the North Seneca street project which consisted of 32 homes in the late 1950’s. He replaced the lead water lines with copper on the Lake Avenue street replacement project in the mid 1970’s. He was never as happy as when he was at least 10 basement projects behind, he dug graves at St. Mary’s Cemetery and both cemeteries in Fonda. Always being a lover of the great outdoors he was an avid hunter, fisherman, and in younger year’s trapper. Melvin and his friends hunted and fished all over Iowa, many states, and Canada.  He obtained his Federal Fire Arms License with which he sold guns and reloading supplies for nearly 50 years, retiring from gun sales when he was 95. His philosophy was always work hard and don’t drink milk. He was instrumental in creating the current Buena Vista Rifle and Pistol Club in 1982 where he did the excavation work, etc., and was a charter member and the last remaining life member.

Melvin reached an age that no one in either side of his family ever obtained. Preceding Melvin in death were his sister, Ione Redig, his parents, son-in-law, Rick Hilbert, one brother, Kermit and wife Norma Redig, his wife Betty on July 30, 2017, two brothers-in-law and spouses; Paul and Donna Pedersen and James and Vie Pedersen, and sister-in-law, Marian and husband Kenneth Kinney.

Melvin died Monday, March 13, 2023 at Accura Healthcare in Aurelia.

Those left to cherish their memories of Melvin include: one daughter, Marcia Hilbert of Manchester, IA, two sons; Randy Redig of Newell, and Roger and his wife Pat Redig of Aurelia, six grandchildren; Amy and husband Brad Pohlman of Urbandale, IA, Nicolle and husband Eric Rubendall of Wilmington, NC, Mandy and husband Trevor Shannon of Burnsville, MN, Sarah Hilbert and wife Donna Lancaster of St. Paul, MN, Rachel and husband Simon Williams of Estherville, IA, and Roman and wife Shelby Redig of Aurelia, eleven great-grandchildren; Alyssa and Ben Pohlman, Andrea, Asher and Brendan Shannon, Braeden, Dory and Finley Hilbert, Erica and Riley Williams, and Remi Redig, as well as nieces and nephews and cousins.