Myrdell Vern Skalet, 93, of Crookston, MN, and a former longtime Beltrami, MN farmer, passed away Sunday, January 2, 2022, in the Benedictine Living Community of Crookston after a brief illness.
Myrdell was born in Nielsville, MN on May 27, 1928, one of five children of the union of Nils and Grace (Howland) Skalet. After graduating from Climax, MN High School with the Class of 1946 he worked on area farms until enlisting in the US Army on November 10, 1950. Myrdell served in Germany for 15 months with the 17th Army Engineering Battalion before returning to the States and receiving his honorable discharge at Ft. Custer, MI on November 8, 1952. He was united in marriage to Sady DeYoung Menke in the Scandia Lutheran Church near Beltrami, MN on September 4, 1959. The couple made their home in Nielsville for a little over two years before moving to a farm they purchased in Reis Township, rural Beltrami. Together, Myrdell and Sady operated their farm until retiring in 1991. Retirement meant that Myrdell could devote more time to the Polk County Historical Society in Crookston. He and Sady continued to live on their farmstead until moving to Crookston in October of 2015.
Myrdell and Sady were former members of Scandia Lutheran Church, where Myrdell served on the Church Board. For the past twenty-five years they have been members of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Crookston. He also held membership with Nielsville American Legion Post 336 for over 60 years. Myrdell was extremely proud of his collection of antique tractors. When it came time to sell them at auction he was very happy to see them go to buyers who would appreciate having them just as much as he had. He and Sady enjoyed attending the annual Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion at Rollag, MN until recent years.
Myrdell will be deeply missed by Sady, his beloved wife of 62 years; his brother and sister-in-law, Lawrence and Linda Skalet of Fargo, ND; sister, Janis Thompson of Caledonia, ND; sister-in-law, Doris Skalet of Brainerd, MN; Sady’s nephew, Wayne DeYoung of Shelly, MN; and several other nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Nils and Grace; sister and brother-in-law, Leatrice and Kenneth Sondrol; and brother, Marlys Skalet. Blessed be the memory of Myrdell Vern Skalet.
The location for the funeral service for Myrdell Skalet has been changed to the Trinity Lutheran Church in Beltrami, MN at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 10, 2022. It was originally scheduled to be at the Fairview Cemetery near Beltrami. Visitation at the church will be for one hour prior to the funeral. The service will be livestreamed by going to Myrdell’s obituary page at www.stenshoelhouske.com and clicking on the prompt to view.
Please send messages of condolence to Sady Skalet at www.stenshoelhouske.com
