Update: Thursday May 30, 2013

Funeral service for Mr. Melvin “Mel” Gosda will be:

Tuesday, June 4, 2013
at 10:30 a.m.
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
1515 S. Harrison, Grand Island.

Memorials may be directed to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.  Home address for Mrs. Ginny Gosda is 2735 Lakewood Drive, Grand Island 68801.


PDG Melvin 'Mel' Gosda (1930-2013)

PDG Melvin ‘Mel’ Gosda (1930-2013)

Melvin “Mel” H. Gosda, 82, of Grand Island died Sunday, May 26, 2013, at Good Samaritan Society-Wood River.

Celebration services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Pauls Lutheran Church. The Rev. Sylvia High Karlsson will officiate. Burial will be in the Grand Island Cemetery, with military honors conducted by the United Veterans Honor Guard and Nebraska Army National Guard.

Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at All Faiths Funeral Home.

Mr. Gosda was born July 7, 1930, to Albert and Nelda (Busboom) Gosda.

Survivors of the immediate family include his wife, “Ginny” Virginia; a son and daughter-in-law, Curt and Dee Ann Gosda; daughters and sons-in-law, Pamela and Tom Purcell and (Micki) Michelle and David Whalen; and a sister and brother-in-law, Shirley and Earl Brodman.

Also cherishing his memory are seven grandchildren, Tucker Gosda, Tess Gosda, Tanner Gosda, Hayley Purcell, Grace Purcell, Austin Whalen and Natalie Whalen.

Mel’s younger years were spent on farms in Hall County. He attended rural schools and graduated from Grand Island Senior High, Class of 1947. He attended Grand Island Business College before entering the United States Army in 1951. He served until 1953, with his final rank as battalion sergeant major. On June 19, 1955, he married the love of his life, Virginia Mae Duncan.

His professional career with Kriz-Davis was long and prosperous, beginning as a salesman in 1954 in Scottsbluff. In 1967 he opened a new branch for Kriz-Davis in Fremont. In 1973 he returned to his hometown, Grand Island, serving as president and CEO of Kriz-Davis before retiring in 1992.

Mel was actively involved in community service. He served on boards for the Grand Island Memorial Hospital, St. Francis Foundation, Central Nebraska Goodwill Industry, Grand Island Area Chamber of Commerce and the Industrial Foundation. He also was president of Grand Island Rotary, serving as Rotary District Governor #5630; was president of the Diplomats Club, and served on the RTE Distributor Council and Electric Distributor Advisory Board.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Roma (Gosda) Conroy; and a brother, Jerry Gosda.

Memorials are suggested to St. Pauls Lutheran Church.

Condolences may be sent to www.giallfaiths.com.

You also may sign the online guestbook at theindependent.com.