Melba J. Stampohar

Melba Josephine Stampohar, age 97, of Stevensville passed away April 2, 2015 at Woodland Terrace, Bridgman, Michigan. Melba was born on October 28, 1917 to Jacob and Mabel Jacobsen in Eveleth, Minnesota.  In the years following, she grew up on the family dairy farm in Wolf, Minnesota. In 1939 she graduated from Duluth State Teachers College and then taught school in northern Minnesota for five years when she decided to sign up for the Navy.  Within weeks she was on her way to Hunter College in Bronx NY, where she received her “boot training”.  From there, she was transferred to Stillwater Oklahoma A & M College where she was trained to handle and process top secret war documents. Melba, a Yeoman 1st Class, was then transferred to Washington D.C. where she worked in the Navy Department of the W.A.V.E.S. for the Chief of Naval Operations until World War II was over. She worked around the clock with other WAVES delivering top secret war plan documents. Following the war, she was employed at Cluet Peabody in Virginia MN, making shirts for the Arrow Shirt brand. Melba married Conrad Francis Stampohar on October 25, 1947 and together they built their home in Virginia MN (Midway Terrace). In 1959, they moved to Shakopee MN where she lived until 1963 when they moved to Stevensville MI. She then became a lunchroom monitor at Stevensville Elementary.  She also returned to school for training as a nurse’s aide and later as a pharmacy technician. Melba was then employed at Mercy Hospital in Benton Harbor and later at Memorial Hospital in St Joseph until she retired in 1984. Following retirement, her focus was her family, swimming at the local Bridgman pool, and the Southwestern MI Area Agency on Agency. She was also a member of the Stevensville American Legion Post 568 and Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Bridgman and also the Women’s Auxiliary of the church. She was preceded in death by her husband Conrad in 2005 after 57 years of marriage, parents Jacob and Mabel Jacobsen, brothers Roswell Jacobsen, Peter Jacobsen, Kenneth Jacobsen and granddaughter Caitlin Elizabeth. No words can express how much she will be missed by her surviving children Dennis (Betty) Stampohar of Baroda MI, Gregory (Linda) Stampohar of Stevensville, Marise (Robert) Sills of Lansing MI, and Susan Stampohar of Bridgman MI.  She also leaves behind her brother Charles Jacobsen, grandchildren Lisa (Jordan) Radde, Megan (Joseph) Trombka, Carly Sills, Michael (Amanda) Warman, Jaime (Michael) Natali, great grandchildren, Marion Kirkpatrick, Kali Natali, Adam Warman, god daughter Carlotta Korson, special friend Margaret Podworski, and many loved nieces and nephews. Visitation will be held at the Starks &  Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Rd., St Joseph  on Monday April 6 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.  Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church, 3903 Lake St., Bridgman on Tuesday April 7 at 11:00 a.m.  Burial will follow at the Lincoln Township Cemetery in Stevensville MI on St. Joseph Avenue, with Military Rites conducted by the Stevensville American Legion Post #568. In lieu of flowers, the family wishes for memorial contributions in honor of Melba to be made to the National Parkinson Foundation: West Michigan, 260 Jefferson SE, Suite 210, Grand Rapids, MI  49503 or Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Bridgman MI.