Richard R Melchert

Richard Melchert, 79 of Manfred died Thursday, October 9, 2025 at the St. Aloisius Nursing Home of Harvey.

Funeral services will be held at the Vang Lutheran Church of Manfred on Wednesday, October 15, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. Visitation will be held at the Hertz Funeral Home of Harvey on Tuesday, October 14, from 4:00 p.m until 6:00 p.m. Burial will be in the Vang Lutheran Cemetery of Manfred.

Richard R. Melchert, age 79, passed into the heavenly realm on October 9, 2025, at St. Aloisius Long-Term Care Center-Unit B. Richard was born June 19, 1946, to Raymond and Mabel (Beyer) Melchert at Morris, Minnesota, the eldest of six children. His younger years were spent living on a country store and attending a one-room school through 7th grade. He began 8th grade in Morris, Minnesota which found him needing to adjust to a larger school setting. He soon had a paper route in Morris, learning responsibility through this steady work. Summers found him working on one of his uncle's farms learning how to drive a tractor and handle farm duties.

Throughout his high school years, he was active in Luther League. Adults mentoring him encouraged him to consider church work as his vocation. In applying to colleges in 1964, Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota accepted his application. His orientation group included a girl that caught his eye, named Wanda Schwartz, a music education major. Eventually, they began dating at which time Richard found himself attending music concerts. This opened to him the big, beautiful world of music. Richard enjoyed a wide range of music venues from symphony orchestra to pipe organ to bluegrass to county and much more. He graduated from Concordia College in 1968 with a major in Social Work and a minor in Parish Work. That year, Richard applied to Luther Seminary in St. Paul and began studying for the ministry. Richard and Wanda were married August 17, 1969, at First Lutheran Church-Mandan and then made their home in St. Paul.

Richard took some time off from the seminary but soon returned and earned his Master of Divinity degree in 1973. Richard's first call was to St. John's Lutheran Church near Ramona, South Dakota. This church welcomed the young couple with much love. After serving two years, Richard delved into another area of his interests, that of bookkeeping and accounting. After securing further schooling at Dakota State College at Madison, South Dakota, Richard worked for 25 years in various businesses including a utility company and insurance companies in North Dakota, Michigan, and New Mexico. Richard and Wanda enjoyed traveling in the North American continent and several times to Norway.

Richard and Wanda's journey next led them to North Dakota where Wanda was working with Manfred, North Dakota and its history. When Richard was interviewing for job positions, one interviewer noticed Richard's ministry background and mentioned a need for pastors. Richard took seriously this holy nudge and began preaching throughout the region. He was then called to the three-point parish of Dodge, Golden Valley, and Zap in 2000 in which the parish welcomed this older couple with open arms. He served there for ten years before retiring in 2010. They lived at Harvey, Mandan, and finally settled on a farmstead north of Manfred where they became cat parents to Lucky, Tigger, and Miss Kitty. This fit perfectly well with Richard's love of God's amazing world of animals. Richard's hobbies included reading, playing horseshoes, bowling, painting-by-number, and crossword puzzles.

His quiet and gentle nature is forever treasured by his wife Wanda of 53 years; siblings; David Melchert, Linda Melchert, Wanda Friedrich, and Raymond Melchert; brother-in-law Merlin Schwartz and his wife Laurie; niece Jenny Taylor and nephews Karl Friedrich and Andy Schwartz; and grandnieces Hazel Refsell, Taya Schwartz, and Mari Schwartz and grandnephews Ben Refsell, Caleb Dumke, and Ethan Dumke. Preceding him in death were his parents, brother Stanley Melchert, and nieces Lydia Friedrich and Hannah Friedrich. We on earth were richly blest with Richard's presence, and we can hear a clear voice saying to Richard "Well done good and faithful servant."