Melvin E. Pfau

Melvin Eugene Pfau 86, died Monday December 21, 2020 at his North Newton residence.  He was born September 26, 1934 in Holyoke, Colorado to Adolph and Helen (Faulheber) Pfau.  On April 4, 1961 he married Linda Lee Merritt at Boulder, Colorado and she survives, of the home.

Melvin was an United States Army Veteran.  He retired as an Agricultural Loan Officer at Bankwest of Goodland, Kansas where he worked for 21 years.  Prior to Bankwest, Melvin worked 20 years for the Great Western Sugar Company as an agricultural consultant to sugar beet growers in both Northeast Colorado and Northwest Kansas.  Additionally, he independently farmed in Holyoke, Colorado.

Mel and Linda were members and actively involved in the United Methodist Church in Goodland, KS.  Additionally, Mel and Linda were co-chairs of the Genesis Food Pantry of Sherman County for 5-years.  It was important to Mel and Linda to raise food insecurity awareness in their community.

Melvin was very active in many church, community, and civic organizations throughout his life including Methodist Men, United Methodist Choir, City Council, Tumbleweed Barbershop Chorus of Colby, Kansas, Goodland Regional Medical Center Hospital Board, American Legion, American Legion Baseball Coaching, RC Planes of Goodland, and Jaycees of Colorado in which he served a term as the Colorado State President.

Mel especially enjoyed time with his family, fixing basically everything under the sun, tinkering with his beloved Model T, rebuilding Volkswagen engines, and building and flying RC planes on the airport he helped develop.  He also was very passionate about singing bass in the Barbershop Connection Quartet where over the course of 25 years, performed in hundreds of gigs throughout Kansas and Colorado.  Most notably, a performance on the Durango-Silverton narrow gauge train in Colorado.

He is survived by his wife Linda; daughter Kelli Pfau of Wichita and son Jon Pfau (Stacia) of Ozawkie; he is also survived by a brother Dale Pfau and 5 grandchildren, Parker, Katherine, Haley, Braeden, and Jenna.

Melvin is preceded in death by his parents and many brothers and sisters; Loren, Alvin, Merle, Audrey, Doris and Thelma Pfau.

Due to the current intensive care hospitalization of Linda Pfau, Mel’s wife, there will be no visitation or funeral services at this time.  The family will plan a celebration of life service once Linda is stronger and able to attend.

Memorial donations in Melvin’s name may be made to Genesis Food Pantry of Sherman County, P.O. Box 313, Goodland, Kansas 67735, in care of Petersen Funeral Home, 215 North Main, Newton, Kansas 67114.