Bunny Mae Steele Melcher

Bunny M. Steele Melcher, 92, of Waukon, IA, died Wednesday, March 18, 2009, at the Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Friday, March 20th, at 11:00 AM at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Waukon, with Rev. Richard Iles officiating. Burial will be held in Oakland Cemetery, Waukon. Friends may call from 9:00 am until time of services at the church. Martin Funeral Home in Waukon is assisting the family with arrangements.


Margaretta "Bunny" Mae Darling Steele Melcher was born August 7, 1916 on her parent's farm in rural New Albin, IA, the daughter of Lysander and Clara (Meyer) Darling. She was baptized and confirmed at the Methodist Church in New Albin and attended country schools in the New Albin area. Bunny worked for area farm families and peddled fish with her father. On November 15, 1937 she married Leonard Steele in Waukon, IA. They owned and operated the Volney General Store in Volney, IA, for many years. In 1960 Bunny and Leonard moved to a farm in Ludlow Township rural Waukon, where they farmed together until Leonard's death on October 18, 1970. Bunny moved to Waukon, where she worked at various jobs. On January 28, 1978 she married Vernon Melcher at Forest Mills United Methodist Church in rural Postville. Vernon died January 30, 2009.

Bunny was a member of St. Paul's United Methodist Church where she was very active in its ladies groups and volunteered at Makee Manor. She enjoyed playing cards, fishing, quilting, crocheting, dancing, gardening, traveling and spending time with her family.


Survivors include her 4 daughters, Iris (Earl) Waters of Waukon, IA, LaVonne (Roger) Palmer of Brandon, IA, Kay (Curtis) Vorwald of Fairbank, IA and Diane (Richard) Robertson of Elkader, IA; 18 grandchildren; 68 great-grandchildren; 25 great-great-grandchildren; a step-son, Darwin (friend Pat) Melcher of Decorah, IA; 4 step-grandchildren; 6 step-great-grandchildren; 3 brothers, Tom Darling and Elton Darling both of New Albin, IA and Bob (Mary) Darling of Strawberry Point, IA. She is preceded in death by her parents; her husbands, Leonard and Vernon; a grandson, Curtis Vorwald, Jr.; 2 great-grandchildren, Jessica and Justin Waters; a step-son, Arlan Melcher; 3 brothers, John, Dag and Vernon Darling; 4 sisters, Virginia Verdon, Vivian Kilby, Belva Darling and Elsie Williams.

Honorary casketbearers are her grandchildren. Casketbearers are Lenny Waters, Margie O'Neill, Tim and Todd Rounds, Dennis Palmer and Shane Melcher.