Harry J. Melsha

Harold J. "Harry" Melsha, age 74 of Arlington died on Sunday evening, Oct. 23, at the Good Samaritan Center in Arlington. Memorial Mass will be on Friday, Oct. 28th, 5:00 p.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Arlington with Fr. Keith Salisbury officiating. Visitation will be at the church on Friday from 1-5 p.m. Interment will be private at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Arlington. Harry was born on January 1, 1937 in Bird Island, MN to Joseph and Margaret (Lingl) Melsha. He grew up in the Bird Island area until he moved to Arlington at the age of 16 to work in the construction business. He married Rita Thomas on September 10, 1957 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Arlington, MN. He worked for Pat Meyer for many years before he owned and operated a heavy equipment construction business. After selling the business to his son Mark he continued to work for him until his retirement. During his retirement, Harry kept active in the community donating his time to the church and city. Harry spent much of his time tending to and organizing events at the community landmark known simply as "Melsha's Pond". Harry's passions included fishing, racquetball, snowmobiling, playing cards, and spending time with family and friends. He was involved in many community organizations including Knights of Columbus, Sibley County Soil Conservation, and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce. He is survived by his wife Rita (Thomes) Children;Mark (Jayne) Melsha of Arlington, MN Barbara Melsha of Sartell, MN Joe (Crystal) Melsha of Fairmont, MN Jim (Lara) Melsha of New Braunfels, TX Jill (Doug) Ohlsen of Waconia, MN Nick Melsha (and special friend, Christi Dinello) of Arlington, MN 10 Grandchildren and 1 Great-Grandchild Nine brothers and sisters He is preceded in death by his son, Michael and two siblings.