Album of the Ages article subject Axel E. Melin
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SOURCE: Douglas County Album of the Ages, (Taylor Publishing Co., Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 79-64885), "Ida Township", page 319
SUBMITTED BY: Mrs. Walter Berglund and Mrs. Lawrence Melin
DATE: ca. 1979
SUBJECT: Axel E. Melin

Axel E. Melin was a well-known farmer of Leaf Valley Township and later, Ida Township. He was born in Leaf Valley Township, Douglas County on June 24, 1884, the youngest son of Andrew and Albertina (Engstrom) Melin, natives of Sweden, who came to the United States shortly after their marriage, preceding directly to Michigan where Andrew Melin worked in the copper mines for a few years. They then came to Minnesota and purchased a farm in Carlos Township for $1.25 an acre. They remained there for a few years and then moved to a 160 acre farm in Leaf Valley Township by north Lake Miltona, Section 35, which they developed and improved, making their home there until their death. He died in 1908 at the age of 74, and his widow died in 1910 at the age of 66. Andrew and Albertina were the parents of six children:

  1. Charles, who married Hilma Noren. They had the following children: Arthur, Walter, Axel T., Oscar, Rueben, Arvid, Inez (Mrs. Harold Rygh), Herbert, and Kermit. Charles Melin and wife lived in Ida township until 1941 when they sold the farm and moved to Alexandria after his retirement. He was rural mail carrier, Garfield Rt. 1 for years. He died in 1943, his widow a few years later.
  2. Albert, married and his wife died in 1906, leaving two small sons. More is written of them later in this article.
  3. Victor, married Mina Peterson. Their children are, Margaret, who died in 1970, Freddie who lives north of Garfield on Victor's home farm, and Lillian of Fergus Falls.
  4. Hannah, married Andrew Monson, a business man of Moorhead. They have two boys and two girls.
  5. Axel E., single.
  6. Sophia, married Olof Kolberg. They have three children, Mable, Alice and Harvey. Mable married Walter Berglund of Alexandria, and they had two sons, Donald G. and Kenneth, who lived in Minneapolis, is now deceased. Each son had two children. Alice married Edwin Sanstead and lived in the Garfield area. They had one daughter, Muriel, who married Warren Linow, and resides in Alexandria. Alice died January 10, 1969. Harvey remained single and lived in the Brandon community. Died, 1975.

All the Melins were members of the Swedish Lutheran Church and active in community affairs.

Axel E. Melin, 5th child of Andrew and Albertina, received his common school education in the Douglas Co. Schools. He was a member of the Swedish Lutheran Church. He grew to manhood on the home farm where he assisted his father with the farm work. After his parents' deaths, he moved to 80 acres in Ida Township that he had purchased some years before. He improved his farm, built a good barn in 1914 and the house in 1915 and also other needed buildings. He was engaged in general farming and raising livestock and very active in community affairs, being on the Garfield Township Board, and chairman of the school board of district 100 at the time of his death in 1953. Burial was at St. Luke's Cemetery, Ida Township, near his parents' graves. Many others of the Melin family are also buried at this cemetery.

When Axel's brother Albert's wife died in 1906, leaving two small boys Lawrence and Leonard, the grandparents cared for them until Grandmother Albertina died in 1910. After that they lived with their Uncle Axel until they were young men. Their father, Albert, worked at the Wickiup Club by Lake Ida, and he too made his home with Axel until his death in 1942. As a young man, Lawrence went to Minneapolis to work. He was married to Mary Nickal, Aug. 16, 1922. Two children were born to them (1) Irene Mae Ritter. She and her family live in Minneapolis. (2) Dale Melin. He and family live in Sauk Center. Leonard also went with his brother and family until marriage to Edith Velin, June 16, 1933. They have two sons: Howard and family of Minneapolis, and Ronald and family of New Hope.

Both Lawrence and Leonard worked for the Minneapolis Street Car Co. for many years. Lawrence died July 8, 1954. Leonard died July 15, 1972. Both widows live in Minneapolis. They and their families spent many summers of their vacations with their Uncle Axel who was a special uncle to them, and to many others, a good and helpful friend and neighbor.

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