Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death.
Melvin H. Walker Jr. passed away on Dec. 17, 2022, at the Oregon Veterans Home surrounded by his loved ones. He was born June 14, 1945, to Melvin “Buster” H. Walker Sr. and Margaret (Hildenbrand) Walker in White Salmon, Wash.
He was the fourth oldest sibling out of five, which included his sisters Charlene Lemley, Beulah Dallas, and Melva Ann McGraw and brother George Walker. They all lived on their little farm in Mt. Brook area of Snowden. All the kids went to the one room Mt. Brook school until they moved to White Salmon on Loop Road. After attending Columbia High School, Mel worked for SDS Lumber Company before he was drafted into the U.S. Army in June of 1967, in which he served time in Vietnam. He received a Honorable Discharge in June of 1969 as a Sgt. E-5.
In May of 1967, he married Donna Beldin and they had four children during their marriage, Melvin Troy, Robert David, Michael Jeremy and Stephanie Rae. They divorced in 1980. He went on to marry the love of his life, Dixie Pierson, in July of 1981, which brought two more children into his life, Chad LaDean and Kimberlee Marie. During Chad’s middle school years, he became friends with a neighbor boy, Chris Hughes. They started doing 4H, and showing dogs together and Chris became a huge part of the family's life, so they always considered him their “adopted” son.
Mel worked mostly in the construction industry as a truck driver for J. Arlie Bryant Rock Crushing, Tom Arnold Trucking and he retired from Pilot Knob Construction in 2007 at the age of 62 after he started suffering from complications from a hereditary disease known as Spinocerebellar Ataxia. Mel worked the family alfalfa and wheat fields until his disorder forced him into a wheelchair.
In his healthier days, he loved to hunt deer and elk with his sons. His all-time favorite hunting experience was when he got to go on a buffalo hunt at a ranch, where his grandson Chase worked and shot a buffalo. One of his favorite recent memories was when his son Mike and grandson Logan took him fishing for the first time in his life.
Mel was preceded in death by his parents, Buster and Margaret, and his sister Charlene. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Dixie; sons Melvin Troy, Rob, Chad (Gena), Chris (Jana), and Mike (Rece); daughters Kim (TJ), and Steph; his 16 grandchildren (Blake, Zach, Hailey, Chase, Chloe, JR, Abby, Mary, Michael, Macee, Logan, Hadley, Micah, Tyson, Payton and David); and four great-grandchildren (Kynlee, Makiya, Delilah, and Lawson), who he loved dearly and bragged to everyone about!
Mel’s sister Charlene Lemley preceded him in death on Dec. 10 and their memorial services will be held together at Grace Baptist Church in White Salmon on Feb. 25 at 1pm.
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