JoAn Melchild

JoAn Elizabeth Melchild, age 83, of Ortonville, MN died Monday, July 15 at Northridge Residence in Ortonville.

Memorial services will be 10:00 a.m. Monday, July 29, 2013 at Mundwiler & Larson Funeral Home with visitation starting at 9:00 a.m..

Interment will be at Mt. Pleasant cemetery in Artesian, S.D..

JoAn Elizabeth Dodd Melchild was born to Burton Moffat Dodd and Lela (Harrison) Dodd on February 13, 1930 in Artesian, South Dakota. She graduated from Artesian High School in 1947 and went on to study at South Dakota State and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
She worked for many years as an editor, journalist and photographer for organizations including: The Sun Newspaper in Minneapolis; The Green Giant Company; The Homemaker Magazine; Cenex; and the Cumberland Advocate in Cumberland WI.
JoAn had a lifelong passion for art and looked forward to her retirement so she had more time to dedicate to it. She traveled all over to attend art classes and loved to share her passion by teaching others. She moved to Ortonville in 2001 and became very involved in the Big Stone Arts Council.
In addition to her artwork, she loved doing genealogy research –even traveling to England several times to discover her roots. She also spent many fun years traveling around the country with her little Scamp trailer and her best friend, Peanut.
JoAn is survived by: her children, Ann Garcia, Tom Melchild, and Janet Vance; six grandchildren, Kaarin Brooke, Jack Melchild, Madeline and Michelle Garcia, and Allen and Mira Vance; and two great-grandsons, Cameron and Colin Brooke. She will also be greatly missed by her extended family and many lifelong friends.
Mundwiler and Larson Funeral Home of Ortonville is in charge of arrangements for JoAn Melchild. To leave condolences online, please visit www.mundwilerfuneralhome.net.