A Celebration of Life Service for Melvin Rademacher, age 95, of Lakefield, will be held Saturday, December 16, 2023, at 11:00 AM at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Lakefield, Minnesota, with Pastor David McDonald officiating. Burial will be in Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Lakefield at a later date.

Melvin Leslie Rademacher, son of John and Clara (Junker) Rademacher was born July 9, 1928, on a farm in Ewington Township, Jackson County, Minnesota. Melvin was baptized and confirmed in the St. Paul Lutheran Church, Rost Township. He attended the Ewington County School, St. Paul Parochial school, and graduated from the Okabena High School in 1946. Melvin was united in marriage to Geraldine (Pederson) on July 25, 1948, at Immanual Lutheran Church in Lakefield, Minnesota.

In 1951, they moved to a farm in Rost Township to start farming and raising livestock on their own which included Chinchillas in the basement. As the years went by, they purchased some more acres of farmland. As a widget creator, Melvin loved brainstorming and coming up with new ideas or improving existing concepts.

Outside of farming, Melvin spent time as a 4-H leader, enjoyed feed barn sales, served on the Federal Land Bank Board, Turkey Trotter's Square-Dancing Board, worked as an agent and manager of Delafield Farmer's Mutual Insurance Company for 20 years. He retired in 1996 and then volunteered for Western Community Action Program providing transportation for anyone who needed transportation services.

Melvin passed away on December 12, 2023, at the age of 95.

Melvin is remembered by his children, Lesley (David) Christoffer of Okabena; Leann (Albert) Henning of Lakefield; Mark (Kathy) Rademacher of Lakefield; Gayla (Greg) Place of Spirit Lake; Gordon (Lynda) Rademacher of Lakefield; 27 grandchildren; 50 great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and one sister-in-law.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 68 years, Geraldine Rademacher; his parents, John and Clara Rademacher; son-in-law, Mark Puck; one grandchild, Catina Henning; brothers, Ray (Winnie) Rademacher and Harold (Lois) Rademacher; sisters, Violet (Ray) Untiedt and Donna Mae (Palmer) Luitjens; brothers-in-law, Frank Seydel, Clyde (Donna Mae) Pohlman, and Don (Shirley) Holthe; nephews, Kip Seydel, Jim Pohlman, Dennis Luitjens, and Gary Untiedt; and cousins.

Blessed be the memory of Melvin Rademacher.