LARNED — Melvin Joe Jennings, 99, died March 19, at Pawnee Valley Community Hospital, Larned.
He was born March 5, 1912, at Belleville, the son of Joe and Grace Underwood Jennings. Melvin was a retired farmer and stockman. As a young man, He worked as a blacksmith and he and his father ran a machine shop and custom threshing business in rural Burdett.
Melvin attended the United Methodist Church, Rozel. He served as a school board member for the Rozel school district for nine years. He’s a past member of the National Square Dance Callers Association and past treasurer, owner and operator of Jennings Miniatures.
On November 3, 1935, he married Roberta Loraine Gibson at Larned. She died February 23, 2010.
Survivors include two sons, Leon, Burdett; and Fred and wife, Judy, Larned; two daughters, Linda Maddy, Larned; and Cheryll Meier and husband, Kenneth, LaCrosse, nine grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a daughter-in-law, Shirley Jennings, and a son-in-law, Darrell Maddy.
The funeral service is scheduled at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 22 at Morell Funeral Home Chapel, Larned with Pastor Rich Zimmerman presiding.  Friends may call from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. Monday, March 21 at the funeral home. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday.  Burial will be in Larned Cemetery.
Memorials may be sent to Burdett Emergency Medical Service in care of Morell Funeral Home, P.O. Box 124, Larned, KS, 67550-0124.
Personal condolences may be left at www.morellfuneralhomellc.com.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Morell Funeral Home
1021 Broadway Street
Larned, KS, 67550-0124
Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, March 20, 2011