Melvin Badtke

Melvin Badtke, age 79, of rural Mt. Carroll, passed away, Sunday, September 29, 2019 at home in the loving care of his family. A funeral service will be held 10:00 a.m. Friday, October 4, 2019 at the Law-Jones Funeral Home, Mt. Carroll. Burial will be in Upper York Cemetery, Argo Fay, Illinois. Visitation will be held 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. Thursday, October 3, 2019 at the Law-Jones Funeral Home, Mt. Carroll. A memorial has been established in his honor. Friends and family are invited to share in Melvin’s life at www.lawjonesfuneralhome.com .

Melvin was born June 3, 1940 in Goose Lake, Iowa, the son of Arnold and Velma (Carter) Badtke. He grew up on a family farm in Eastern Iowa. Melvin is a 1960 graduate of Elvira High School, Elvira, Iowa. He met the love of his life, Joann Jurgens, at a dance in Clinton, Iowa. They were married July 15, 1961 at the Immanuel Lutheran Church, Charlotte, Iowa. Melvin and Joann raised two children and celebrated 58 years of marriage.

Melvin was a life-long farmer. He and Joann established their farm near Mt. Carroll. He also worked 27 years for Internantional Paper in Clinton, Iowa, retiring in 1995. Throughout the years, Melvin took great pride in the upkeep of his farm. He enjoyed restoring his 1964 Ford 4000 tractor with his son, Bruce. He rode in the Eastern Iowa Tractorcade for 15 years. Melvin has kept working, mowing regularly and chisel plowing last fall. Farming was his life, and he liked getting together and talking with his farming friends every Thursday at Slick’s. He always enjoyed playing the card game, Canasta with family and friends. He was a member of the York Community Church of Thomson. He also belonged to the Illinois Farm Bureau and the York Trustee Township Board.

Melvin will be dearly missed by his wife, Joann of rural Mt. Carroll; two children, Brenda (Richard) Byram of Thomson and Bruce (Rhonda) Badtke of Mt. Carroll; four grandchildren, R.J. (Mandi) Byram, Garrett (Nicole) Badtke, Rachel Badtke and Anna Badtke; two great grandchildren, Aubree and Owen Byram; and a brother, Larry Badtke of Clinton Iowa. Melvin is preceded in death by his parents and a sister in-law, Carol Badtke.