Barb Melby

Barbara L. Melby, 85, of St. Charles, Minnesota, died on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. Funeral services will be at 2:00 PM, Saturday, March 11, 2023 at the Hoff Funeral Home, St. Charles, Minnesota. Father Tim Biren will officiate. Private family burial will be at a later date. Visitation will be from Noon until the time of the service at the funeral home. The Hoff Funeral Home is serving the family.

Barb was born on June 3, 1937 in Glenwood, Minnesota the daughter of Ben and Lula (Christenson) Jermstad. Barb graduated from Glenwood High School and flew to Rochefort, France, where she married her high school sweetheart, Gerald K. Melby. After Jerry was discharged from the United States Army they returned to Glenwood where they farmed. In 1968 they made a career change with Jerry going to the seminary. During that time Barb was truly was the strength for helping her family. Barb supported Jerry as a preacher’s wife being there for him to help with whatever he needed for the congregations he served and also leading in any way possible with her gift of music. She worked as a secretary outside the home for many business’ in communities they lived, Myers Furniture Store and Rushford High School, Rushford, MN, Kelly Real Estate, Britt, Iowa and also as school secretary for Dubuque Alternative High School, Dubuque, Iowa. Most of all though she was a loving wife, mom, grandma and great-grandma. She enjoyed knitting, doing hair-pin-lace, a good game of 500 and gardening. She was an avid Twins and Vikings fan, Fran being her man.