Melvin Rother Obituary

Name: Visitation for Melvin Rother
Start: 2021-07-24T15:00:00.000Z
End: 2021-07-24T16:00:00.000Z
Location: St. Thomas More Parish

Melvin Rother

Manchester, MO - Melvin Rother, age 88, formerly of Manchester, Missouri, passed away unexpectedly on March 26, 2021 at NHC Healthcare Maryland Heights following a brief stay. Mel moved to Missouri to be near family in March of 2020 with his wife, Mary Jane. Prior to this move, he had been a lifelong resident of Appleton, Wisconsin, having lived on N. Owaissa Street for over 60 years.

Mel was an only child, born January 24, 1933 in New Holstein, WI. He graduated from Hilbert High School in 1951 as valedictorian. In 1954 he married Mary Jane Hoffmann and they moved to Appleton in 1957. Mel was a natural salesman and was always working. He began his sales history with McKinley Sales. He obtained his Real Estate License in 1972 and his Real Estate Appraisal license in 1992. In 1972 Mel and Mary purchased the Richmond Street Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream Store. Together they owned and operated up to three Baskin-Robbins stores over the next 30 years until finally retiring in 2003. Within months of retiring, Mel became restless and returned to work at Pick 'N Save, mostly working in the liquor department until his final retirement in 2018.

Mel is survived by his daughters: Lynda (Ross) Klarner of Manchester, MO and Lisa (Dan) Richter of Rio Rancho, NM; his grandchildren: Andrea (Aaron) Patton of Pacific, MO, Brooke (John) Garner of De Soto, MO, Richard (Katie) Klarner of St. Peters, MO, Katrina Rondeau of Leyton, UT, Ashley Rondeau of Albuquerque, NM, and Jonathon Richter of Rio Rancho, NM; his great grandchildren: Alison, Megan and Julie Patton, Emma (Mitchell) Bergsma, Austin and Kevin Garner, and Theodore and Lillian Klarner; and countless friends - many of whom were part of the St. Thomas More Parish community in Appleton, he was a charter member since 1965.

He was preceded in death by his loving wife of 66 years, Mary Jane (Hoffmann) Rother; his parents, Richard and Lorraine (Woelfel) Rother; his son, Gary Rother; and a son-in-law, Paul Rondeau.

Services: A Mass of Christian Burial for both Mel and Mary will be held at St. Thomas More Parish in Appleton on Saturday, July 24, 2021 with visitation at 10 a.m. and the funeral Mass at 11 a.m. A service of the SCHRADER Funeral Home and Crematory, friends may sign the family's on-line guestbook at Schrader.com.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Appleton Post-Crescent from Apr. 2 to Apr. 3, 2021.

Memories and Condolences
for Melvin Rother

Sponsored by Schrader Funeral Home - Eureka.

5 Entries

Laura Leimer

July 24, 2021

Sorry to have missed the Memorial Service this AM for Mel. I enjoyed working with him in Real Estate, REALLY loved his B.R. ice cream stores, & then to see him at the grocery store later in life. He was one of a kind!

LYNNDALE IHM

June 9, 2021

It was so nice working with you me I will always remember check out here in liquor quicker rest in peace both Mel and mary

Michael Chambers

April 12, 2021

So sorry to hear about Mel. I got to know him in the late 1970's when he was the manager of the real estate office for a local company, and I was one of his salespeople. I've never worked for a more honest or decent person. Years after I'd left the business, in 1990, my future wife, Yvonne Kehl, and I decided it was time to buy a home and there was only one person we wanted to work with, Mel Rother. We told Mel that we wanted a ranch on the northside of Appleton on a quiet street. After one showing of one house, his listing, we bought a two story, southside Appleton house, on a then busy street that very night. Since the showing was on a January evening in WI, we didn't even walk around the exterior. If Mel Rother said the siding was OK, it was OK. Another 10 years passed before Yvonne and I saw him again and this time we brought our three grandchildren to Mary and Mel's Baskin Robbins. Same old Mel, same great guy. During our time together in real estate, he was a mentor and friend to me. Rest in Peace Mel. You've left a lot of friends back here.

Laura Leimer

April 7, 2021

I worked with Mel when he was a Real Estate office manager & an ice cream entrepeneur. He was always a joy to be around, fair in his dealings, & easy to be around. He will be missed.

Kay Hartjes

April 5, 2021

Mary Jane, so sorry to here about Mel. He was such a joy to work with.

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