Individual Details
Melvin Eugene Chauncey Kirkpatrick
(29 Jan 1925 - 26 Mar 2013)
Melvin Eugene Chauncey Kirkpatrick was the second child of Elmer Frederick and Rucy Leone (McCarthy) Kirkpatrick. He was born at Austin, Mower County, Minnesota on 29 January 1925.
He graduated from High School in that city and was drafted into the U.S. Navy in the spring of 1943. He served as a radioman, most of the duty on the heavy cruiser U.S.S. Augusta (CA-31). This ship served as flagship of the Allied Invasion of France on D-Day, 6 June 1944. Melvin was discharged in 1945. After discharge he attended the University of Minnesota and graduated with a B.A. in Journalism in 1949. After working briefly at an advertising agency he returned to school and took a B.S. in Library Science in 1951 and began work as a special librarian with Brown & Bigelow, St. Paul, Minnesota. In 1954 he switched to a library at Campbell-Mithun, a Minneapolis advertising agency. In 1965 he was employed by Inverstors Diversified Services as head librarian. Melvin has done some work as an amateur actor around the Twin Cities, appearing in plays, musicals and skit material. He sometimes called "Chaunce"
On 27 May 1950 he was married at Gann Valley, Buffalo County, South Dakota, to Donna Lou Knight, daughter of Irving William and Bernice Mary (Homewood) Knight. Donna, the eighth child of fourteen, was born 18 April 1928 at Chamberlain, Brule County, South Dakota, and grew up on her father's ranch near Gann Valley in Buffalo County, South Dakota. She attended South Dakota State University in Brookings and the University of Minnesota for a time. Later, after her children were born, she returned to work with the City of Bloomington, Hennepin County, Minnesota. Later she returned to the University of Minnesota and received a B.A. in Education. For a number of years she was employed as an instructor in special education in schools in Bloomington and at Rosemount, Minnesota. She was later employed by the Department of Welfare of Hennepin County, Minnesota. They live in Bloomington, Minnesota.
There were three (3) children born of the marriage.
Star Tribune, Minneapolis, Minnesota, March 31, 2013: Kirkpatrick, Melvin Eugene "Gene", "Chaunce" Age 88, of Bloomington, passed away peacefully Tuesday, March 26, 2013. Melvin was a vibrant and energetic soul that affected everybody he met. Mel approached the world as a puzzle in need of solving; his inquisitive mind found answers through relentless study and research to master whatever the task, whether it was genealogy, banjo picking, fine arts, or a new investment. Which, never left him at a loss for words - often funny sounding, obscure, and arcane words. Though unflinchingly devoted and hopelessly in love with his late wife Donna Lou "Pretzel" (Knight) he lived every day trying to be worthy of her love and was always worried that somehow he had failed her. Even after 61 years and their three children, he seemed blind to the fact that she was every bit truly and deeply in love with him. They were famous for co-hosting brilliant parties such as a Poetry Party so epic it became front page news in the ‘Bloomington Sun.' The silly games organized by game-master Melvs at the annual Memorial Day picnic are the stuff of many a family's legend. Christmas parties started as just a few families gathered on Christmas Eve grew by the early '80s so that "Santa" Melvin was distributing over 100 gag gifts at a huge gathering. In addition to family and friends, it got so Mel was drafted to do these kinds of events and presentations for work and for class and Navy reunions. He did events as well for groups as diverse as the Minnesota Territorial Pioneers organization and The Newspaper Guild and with a battery of customized quizzes, stand-up bits, often doing so in character as Ben Franklin or Andy Rooney. He worked as a Special Librarian his entire life taking his degree at the U of M. First, working in ad agencies, Brown and Bigelow and then Campbell Mithun. Later he worked at IDS, his fecund mind churned away at seemingly insoluble problems long before the advent of the computer; which he never did use, banging away on a manual typewriter up to the last day of his life. In WWII Mel served as a radioman aboard the USS Augusta; his service was a source of pride and many, many late night stories. The Augusta was the flagship for the Normandy Invasion and later the invasion of Southern France. The battle cruiser was also designated as a Presidential Flagship and when Truman was returning from the Potsdam Conference young Melvin hand delivered a message from Secretary of War Stimson that the atomic bomb had been dropped over Hiroshima. A dynamo of ebullient energy, Melvin was always at something from high school on and in suburban life; his locus became the nascent Bloomington Civic Theater. Finishing as a board member emeritus, he was president at least 4 times in a career with the Theater that started 55 years ago. On stage or back stage, upstage or down, the roar of the grease paint and the smell of the crowd was Donna Lou's only rival for his passion. His stage presence and unerring timing could hold the audience as Nathan Detroit or as Geppetto. Never one to rest he worked in other media as well completing one feature length movie for HBO called ‘Home Town Boy Makes Good,' as well as some local commercials and print ads. He wrapped his on-screen career with a nearly 20 year stint as co-host of the local cable access show ‘The Time of Our Lives' geared for seniors. His career on stage extended into Alan Lotsberg's New Fogey Follies, a vaudevillian-styled review that suited Melvin's musical tastes and comic style. A lifetime so involved and devoted to his country and community does not go unrecognized and in 2005 KARE 11 so honored Melvin publically as an outstanding volunteer with their "11 Who Care Award." The Bloomington Civic Theater has named their annual outstanding volunteer award in his honor. Melvin Eugene Kirkpatrick was born on the 29th of January, 1925 the younger of two children of Elmer and Ruby Kirkpatrick in Austin, Minnesota. His parents and his wife precede him in death. His sister Blanche Einhaus; his children Tom (Melody), Susan Beth (Malcolm) Batt, John (Cindy); and seven grand- children, a host of loving in-laws, nieces, and nephews survive him. A celebration of this remarkable life will be held at the Bloomington Arts Center Theater, 1800 W. Old Shakopee Rd., Bloomington MN 55431 at 1 pm. Saturday, April 6. Reception to follow.
He graduated from High School in that city and was drafted into the U.S. Navy in the spring of 1943. He served as a radioman, most of the duty on the heavy cruiser U.S.S. Augusta (CA-31). This ship served as flagship of the Allied Invasion of France on D-Day, 6 June 1944. Melvin was discharged in 1945. After discharge he attended the University of Minnesota and graduated with a B.A. in Journalism in 1949. After working briefly at an advertising agency he returned to school and took a B.S. in Library Science in 1951 and began work as a special librarian with Brown & Bigelow, St. Paul, Minnesota. In 1954 he switched to a library at Campbell-Mithun, a Minneapolis advertising agency. In 1965 he was employed by Inverstors Diversified Services as head librarian. Melvin has done some work as an amateur actor around the Twin Cities, appearing in plays, musicals and skit material. He sometimes called "Chaunce"
On 27 May 1950 he was married at Gann Valley, Buffalo County, South Dakota, to Donna Lou Knight, daughter of Irving William and Bernice Mary (Homewood) Knight. Donna, the eighth child of fourteen, was born 18 April 1928 at Chamberlain, Brule County, South Dakota, and grew up on her father's ranch near Gann Valley in Buffalo County, South Dakota. She attended South Dakota State University in Brookings and the University of Minnesota for a time. Later, after her children were born, she returned to work with the City of Bloomington, Hennepin County, Minnesota. Later she returned to the University of Minnesota and received a B.A. in Education. For a number of years she was employed as an instructor in special education in schools in Bloomington and at Rosemount, Minnesota. She was later employed by the Department of Welfare of Hennepin County, Minnesota. They live in Bloomington, Minnesota.
There were three (3) children born of the marriage.
Star Tribune, Minneapolis, Minnesota, March 31, 2013: Kirkpatrick, Melvin Eugene "Gene", "Chaunce" Age 88, of Bloomington, passed away peacefully Tuesday, March 26, 2013. Melvin was a vibrant and energetic soul that affected everybody he met. Mel approached the world as a puzzle in need of solving; his inquisitive mind found answers through relentless study and research to master whatever the task, whether it was genealogy, banjo picking, fine arts, or a new investment. Which, never left him at a loss for words - often funny sounding, obscure, and arcane words. Though unflinchingly devoted and hopelessly in love with his late wife Donna Lou "Pretzel" (Knight) he lived every day trying to be worthy of her love and was always worried that somehow he had failed her. Even after 61 years and their three children, he seemed blind to the fact that she was every bit truly and deeply in love with him. They were famous for co-hosting brilliant parties such as a Poetry Party so epic it became front page news in the ‘Bloomington Sun.' The silly games organized by game-master Melvs at the annual Memorial Day picnic are the stuff of many a family's legend. Christmas parties started as just a few families gathered on Christmas Eve grew by the early '80s so that "Santa" Melvin was distributing over 100 gag gifts at a huge gathering. In addition to family and friends, it got so Mel was drafted to do these kinds of events and presentations for work and for class and Navy reunions. He did events as well for groups as diverse as the Minnesota Territorial Pioneers organization and The Newspaper Guild and with a battery of customized quizzes, stand-up bits, often doing so in character as Ben Franklin or Andy Rooney. He worked as a Special Librarian his entire life taking his degree at the U of M. First, working in ad agencies, Brown and Bigelow and then Campbell Mithun. Later he worked at IDS, his fecund mind churned away at seemingly insoluble problems long before the advent of the computer; which he never did use, banging away on a manual typewriter up to the last day of his life. In WWII Mel served as a radioman aboard the USS Augusta; his service was a source of pride and many, many late night stories. The Augusta was the flagship for the Normandy Invasion and later the invasion of Southern France. The battle cruiser was also designated as a Presidential Flagship and when Truman was returning from the Potsdam Conference young Melvin hand delivered a message from Secretary of War Stimson that the atomic bomb had been dropped over Hiroshima. A dynamo of ebullient energy, Melvin was always at something from high school on and in suburban life; his locus became the nascent Bloomington Civic Theater. Finishing as a board member emeritus, he was president at least 4 times in a career with the Theater that started 55 years ago. On stage or back stage, upstage or down, the roar of the grease paint and the smell of the crowd was Donna Lou's only rival for his passion. His stage presence and unerring timing could hold the audience as Nathan Detroit or as Geppetto. Never one to rest he worked in other media as well completing one feature length movie for HBO called ‘Home Town Boy Makes Good,' as well as some local commercials and print ads. He wrapped his on-screen career with a nearly 20 year stint as co-host of the local cable access show ‘The Time of Our Lives' geared for seniors. His career on stage extended into Alan Lotsberg's New Fogey Follies, a vaudevillian-styled review that suited Melvin's musical tastes and comic style. A lifetime so involved and devoted to his country and community does not go unrecognized and in 2005 KARE 11 so honored Melvin publically as an outstanding volunteer with their "11 Who Care Award." The Bloomington Civic Theater has named their annual outstanding volunteer award in his honor. Melvin Eugene Kirkpatrick was born on the 29th of January, 1925 the younger of two children of Elmer and Ruby Kirkpatrick in Austin, Minnesota. His parents and his wife precede him in death. His sister Blanche Einhaus; his children Tom (Melody), Susan Beth (Malcolm) Batt, John (Cindy); and seven grand- children, a host of loving in-laws, nieces, and nephews survive him. A celebration of this remarkable life will be held at the Bloomington Arts Center Theater, 1800 W. Old Shakopee Rd., Bloomington MN 55431 at 1 pm. Saturday, April 6. Reception to follow.
Events
| Birth | 29 Jan 1925 | Austin, Mower Co., Minnesota |  | ||
| Marriage | 27 May 1950 | Gann Valley, Buffalo Co., South Dakota - Donna Lou Knight | | ||
| Death | 26 Mar 2013 | Bloomington, Hennepin Co., Minnesota | | ||
| Burial | Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Fort Snelling, Hennepin Co., Minnesota | |
Families
| Spouse | Donna Lou Knight (1928 - 2012) |
| Child | Thomas Knight Kirkpatrick (1951 - ) |
| Child | Susan Beth Kirkpatrick (1953 - ) |
| Child | John Scott Kirkpatrick (1958 - ) |
| Father | Elmer Frederick Kirkpatrick (1897 - 1945) |
| Mother | Ruby Leone McCarthy (1896 - 1968) |
| Sibling | Blanche Leona Kirkpatrick (1923 - ) |
Endnotes
1. A Kirkpatrick Genealogy; Melvin Kirkpatrick & David Hudson, 1995.
2. A Kirkpatrick Genealogy; Melvin Kirkpatrick & David Hudson, 1995.
3. Obituary of Melvin Eugene Chauncey Kirkpatrick, Star Tribune, Minneapolis, Minnesota, March 31, 2013.
4. Find A Grave.