Haverland, Melvin Clayton April 28, 1919 - September 22, 2014

Melvin Clayton Haverland was born on April 28, 1919, the second of a pair of twins to John Henry and Otilla (Neuenschwander) Haverland at their home south of Deepwater in the Valley Center community.  Melvin died on September 22, 2014 at the Truman Lake Manor in Lowry City. Melvin attended school at the German Valley School (now known as Valley Center), where he walked to school each day. Melvin and Irvin (his twin) shared an old syrup tin to carry their lunches in. Growing up in the Valley Center United Church of Christ, Melvin went thru confirmation as a youth.  He later took an active role in the church serving as Deacon, Elder and on the cemetery committee.   Melvin considered it a privilege to serve in key rolls of the church.  The “Twins” as Melvin and Irvin were known thru out the community, farmed together their whole lives.    As a youth he loved to hunt and fish.  As a young boy he first started farming with a team of horses on his father’s farm and kept riding horses throughout his life.  They had a team of the riding horses broke to drive and would plow their gardens in the spring.   Melvin valued the farm life, the outdoors and the responsibility of farm stewardship.  Melvin and Irvin were never hesitant to try a new method or product, such as they were the first ones in the area to make silage out of high moisture corn and purchased one of the first 4-wheel drive pickups in the county. Melvin served in the Army during WW II and was assigned to the South Pacific and the Marshall Islands.  He was part of the 47th Combat and Construction Engineers, where he helped build camps for the troops and airstrips from dredged coral from the ocean.   One of the few stories he would tell from the war was going to different islands to work and smuggling back fresh fruit in the tool boxes of the truck and sharing the pineapple and bananas with his fellow buddies. On November 18, 1961 he married Maxine Good at the Valley Center UCC.  They made their home two miles north of Lowry City on the farm where they lived for over 50 years together.  Maxine and Melvin enjoyed having their nephews Kendal, Kasey and Kris Mitchell come spend the summers with them on the farm, where he taught them to shoot, hunt and ride horses. He was a charter member of the Golden Valley Muzzleloaders and served as an officer for many years. He was a member and officer of the Missouri Trappers Association.  He spent several years on the St Clair County Soil and Water Conservation Board as an officer and committee member.   He was a member of the Farm Bureau and the St Clair County Cattlemen’s Association.    Melvin was an avid Winchester gun collector.  He loved to shoot trap and targets as well as hunt for deer, quail, doves, ducks, rabbits, prairie dogs and coyotes (just to name a few).   As well as teaching his nephews to shoot, he also taught his Great Nieces – Amber and Lauren and Great Nephew – Jordan gun safety and to shoot on a “Chipmunk 22”.    Melvin looked forward each year to go Prairie Dog hunting with his lifelong friend Gary LaCompte in South Dakota. Melvin enjoyed his pie and homemade ice cream as much as his twin.  Melvin was known to always have a freezer of ice cream in the basement freezer just in case company stopped by.  When the Valley Center United Church of Christ burned in 1985, he used the wood from the Catalpa tree that was struck by lightning to make the cross that hangs in the current sanctuary.  He also made each family a small cross from the scraps of the same Catalpa tree to have in their homes.  Melvin was proud that his Niece and Nephew Julie and Alan have kept up the tradition of having and driving a team of horses.  He enjoyed when they would bring the team by for him to look at.  Melvin was preceded in death by his loving wife Maxine Leonard Good, his parents John and Otilla, his twin brother Irvin, older sister Irene, younger brother and sister in–law Raymond and Olga , and brother in-law and sister in–law Jerry and Barbara Mitchell. He is survived by Barbara Haverland, sister-in-law, Nieces and Nephews, Alan Haverland, Julie Haverland, Laurie Stinnett  (Richard), Kendal Mitchell (Heather), Kasey Mitchell (Anna) and Kris Mitchell (Arla).  Great Nieces and Nephews Amber Keith (Chris), Jordan Stinnett, Lauren Stinnett, Peter Mitchell and Jack Mitchell.  Great-Great Niece and Nephew Meghan Keith and Jephrey Keith.   Along with other family, cousins and friends.