Allen L. Melsness, 56, of Eau Claire died Friday, September 9, 2005, following a courageous battle with cancer. He was born in Eau Claire on November 7, 1948, the son of Lloyd and Beth (Garton) Melsness. \r\nAllen graduated from Memorial High School in 1966. He married Fran L. Oelke on March 23, 1968, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. He worked at Presto, Gould, and Pope&Talbot. His favorite jobs were with the Eau Claire City Parks and UW-Eau Claire as a groundskeeper.\r\nHe loved to camp, hike, bike, run, and kayak. He especially enjoyed trips to the Boundary Waters. A highlight of Allen's life was a summer long trip to Alaska with his best friend, Fran. \r\nAl demonstrated his faith through his involvement at Valleybrook Church. During his fight against cancer, he felt his mission in life was to reach out to others in need. His greatest desire was that everyone have a relationship with Christ. \r\nSurvivors include his wife, Fran; son, Jon Melsness and his girlfriend, Diane Levesque, of Boulder, CO; his mother, Beth (Milton) Bahr of Eau Claire; two brothers, Dennis (Violet) Melsness of Red Wing, MN, and Steven (Danette) Melsness of Monticello, MN; mother-in-law, Mary Jean Sievert of Elk Mound; brother-in-law, James (Pat) Oelke, of Sheboygan; nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends. \r\nHe was preceded in death by his father, Lloyd, in 1970.\r\nA memorial celebration will be held at 11:30 a.m. Friday, September 16, 2005, at Valleybrook Church with Pastor Nathan Anderson officiating. Burial will be in Rest Haven Cemetery in the town of Washington. Family and friends may gather at the church one hour prior to the service. Lenmark-Gomsrud-Linn Funeral and Cremation Services is serving the family.\r\nMemorials are preferred to the American Cancer Society, 2427 N. Hillcrest Pkwy., Suite #7,Altoona, WI 54720-2589.\r\n

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