Melvin P. Loff, 87

Melvin Peter Loff, 87, of Grand Rapids, Minn., formerly of Blackduck, died Monday, May 12, 2008 at Evergreen Terrace, Grand Rapids.
Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, at St. Andrews Lutheran Church, Grand Rapids, with the Rev. George Gilbertson officiating.
A visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.
Burial will be at Riverside Cemetery Longville, Minn., with full military honors provided by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 772 Longville.
He was born June 29, 1920, in Brainerd, Minn., the son of Peter Gustav and Emma (Mathais) Loff.
He attended school in a country school in Longville. He then moved to International Falls and worked at the M & O Paper Mill.
He married Elizabeth “Betty” Lee on Nov. 24, 1941.
He was drafted into the Army Air Force in 1942 and served in World War II. He served in the European Theater, mostly in England, and was honorably discharged as a Corporal in 1945.
From 1950 to 1993 he farmed at Mizpah, Minn., and had also worked various jobs, including working in the mines at Babbitt, and the paper mill in International Falls. He retired in 1993 and moved to Bemidji.
He lived in Blackduck from 2001 to 2006 and in Grand Rapids from 2007 until his death.
He was a member of the Bethesda Lutheran Church of Mizpah for over 40 years and a past member of the American Legion.
He liked to attend auction sales, go to the cafe, visit with folks, reading the paper, keeping up on current events, and listening to Rush Limbaugh. He enjoyed farming, and listening to country music, especially Hank Snow, Eddie Arnold and Johnny Cash. In his younger years he played guitar and sang. He will be remembered by many for his sense of humor.
He loved to spend time with his family, especially his grandchildren.
He is survived by his wife, Betty of Grand Rapids; son, Gary (Denise) Loff of West St. Paul, Minn.; daughters, Carol Geringer of Claremore, Okla., and Nancy (Bill) Thompson of Hudson, Wis.; five grandchildren, Scott, Danette, Andy, Marcy and Tony; four great-grandchildren, Randy, Emily, Katie and Lori; and a brother, Paul (Della) Loff of Pengilly, Minn.
He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Arnold Loff and a son-in-law, Michael Geringer.
In lieu of flowers the family would prefer memorials, which the family will donate to various charities.
Messages of condolence may be sent to ceasefuneralhome.com.