Dad

[I don't think I have posted much about my  Dad on my 

silly little blog.]

My dad, Ralph Melby,  was born at Silver Creek, MN on

Friday, August 3, 1900.

During threshing time, he would look out the window at school,

watching the steam threshing rig go by.  He was so fascinated by

these huge machines. He  said he would sit and daydream

about them at school!    

Once, he was even allowed to stay home from school during 

threshing so he could watch the threshers!

When my dad was 10 years old, the family moved to a farm

near Kvam Church.  

Years later, my dad, his brother George, and their nephew Kenneth 

held the first threshing show (now the Lake Region

Pioneer Threshermen's Association)

Below is a picture of the founders:   George, Kenneth & Ralph

This photo of Dad was taken circa 1985

He died in 1991.

Dad claimed he was not a good student, that he was more interested in

machinery than books.   But he had good business sense, and he kept

impeccable records - both financial and inventory.  I think he was a

better student than he thought he was.

He was left-hand, but in those days children were forced to

use their right hand when writing.   So while he used his left hand for things

such as hammering, he wrote with his right hand - and his penmanship was not bad!

My Dad worked at the Broom Factory in Fergus Falls, did custom

threshing, co-owned the Skelly Gas Station in Dalton,

was a farmer, owned the lumberyard, and later a hardware

store in Dalton, among other things.

Dad could be stubborn (a family trait he passed on to some of us),

but he had a great sense of humor and was known to

take part in more than one practical joke.

He loved to tease us kids, but was a disciplinarian when necessary.

He gave most of us kids nicknames, and unfortunately (?)

some of them still stick today.

To write everything I know (which maybe isn't that much) about

Dad on this blog would be extremely lengthy, but one thing

is certain:   Christian values, his children and Mom

were the most important things to him.

Oh, yeah - those steam engines were right up near the

top of the list, too!