Melva Stanley

Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 13, 2010, at 11:00 a.m., at Calvary Evangelical Free Church in Rugby, for Melva Stanley, 88, of Rugby, who died Monday, March 8 at the Heart of America Medical Center Long Term Care.

Burial will be in Persilla Watts Cemetery in the spring.

Melva was born July 20, 1921, at home in Stanton, a daughter of Frank and Lillian (Clark) Karges. She was raised on the family farm, attended country school, and graduated from Hazen High School. After graduation, she obtained a teacher’s certificate and began teaching at the Red Butte Consolidated School. She later taught at the rural school near her home. During WWII, she and her sister took care of the farming and milking. After the war, she attended and graduated from Regina Bible College. She also attended Bible College in Minot for one year. She married Clarence E. Stanley on Aug. 14, 1946. The couple returned to the Bible College in Medicine Hat, Alberta, where she taught while Clarence attend college. From 1948 to 1956, she taught Bible studies, Sunday School, and DVBS in McCluskey and Goodrich, Allendorf, Iowa, and Malvern and Fair Haven, Ill. From 1956-1967, she continued her ministry and multiple positions of support within the EUB Churches they served in Drake, Balfour, Upham and Bantry. In 1967, the couple was assigned to Elgin, serving at Zoar and Ebeneezer UCC. In 1974, they founded the family ministry and retreat center, Cross Roads Range, in St. John. They retired from CRR in 1988 and moved to Rugby. She continued her Christian teaching in Rugby, Leeds and Pleasant Lake.

She is survived by her husband, Clarence; two sons: Leonard and Eugene, both of Rugby; two daughters: Sharon Canfield, Columbus, N.D., and Alice Abrahamson, St. John; nine grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; one sister, Marily Fiesel, Martin; and other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers; and one son-in-law, Gary Abrahamson.

Rev. Nathan Steen will officiate. Music will be provided by Barb Lee, organist, and Nancy Silliman, Marshal, Perry and Laura Karges, soloists.

Casketbearers will be Adam Canfield, Christopher Abrahamson, Aaron Abrahamson, Darrell Fiesel, Marlin Fiesel, and Terry Pieler.

Arrangements by Anderson Funeral Home, Rugby.