Melvin Lauer, 90, of Bismarck died Tuesday, August 1, 2017 at the Sanford Hospital of Bismarck.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, August 4 at the United Methodist Church, McClusky, ND.

Visitation will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and one hour prior to the service at the Hertz Funeral Home in McClusky.

Burial will be in the McClusky City Cemetery with military rites provided by North Dakota National Guard Funeral Honors Team and the James Roberts American Legion Post, McClusky.

Melvin was born on November 2, 1926 on a farm north of McClusky. He was the son of Fred and Marie (Neff) Lauer. In 1929 the family moved to a farm north of Pickardville. They also lived on a farm near John's Lake and then to farm south of McClusky. He attended school in Pickardville, the John's Lake Country School and in McClusky. In 1945 Melvin entered the army and served in Germany. After his honorable discharge on November 11, 1946 he returned to McClusky. Melvin married Doris E. Broeckel on April 29, 1947 in McClusky at the EUB parsonage by the Reverend Rieker. They lived southeast of Pickardville where they farmed and ranched retiring in 1991. They moved to Bismarck in 1996.

Melvin served as chairman of the Pickardville Township. He was a member of the Veteran of Foreign Wars Post in Bismarck and American Legion Post in McClusky. He enjoyed bowling in Turtle Lake, McClusky and Bismarck; playing pinochle; throwing horse shoes; going fishing; working jigsaw puzzles and watching sports on TV. He also enjoyed his daily coffee group at McDonald's in Bismarck.

Melvin is survived by his wife, Doris of Bismarck; three sons, Darrell of Bismarck; Keith (Brenda) of Bismarck; Kevin (Candace) of St. Joseph, Missouri; two daughters, Melva Kramlich of Exeter, CA, LeAnne Schlafman of McClusky; 14 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; 1 great-great-grandchild; brothers, LeRoy (Alice) Lauer and Lloyd (Janice) Lauer of McClusky, Ray (Marcella) Lauer of Bismarck; sister, Shirley Wilson of Coleharbor, ND.

Melvin was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Rudy, Ted and Albert; seven sisters, Edna Reile, Viola Murray, Freda Broeckel, Ruby Wahl, Darlene Roth, Violet Lauer, Adeline Lauer; daughter-in-law, Norma Lauer; sons-in-law, Jerry Kramlich and Gerald Schlafman.