Melvin Dale Shipley

Melvin Shipley, 83, of Esbon, Kansas, passed away at his farm from which he lived his entire life on April 28, 2012. He was born January 26, 1929, in Salem, KS, the son of Benjamin Robert and Hazel Ruth (Wright) Shipley. On April 10, 1955, Melvin married Ione Andersen in Jewell, KS. To this union they were blessed with three children, Gary, Lyle, and Melva.

Melvin was a graduate of Esbon High School, class of 1947. In 1950, he was the National 4-H Leadership winner and was able to go to Chicago to the National 4-H Congress. He was a member of Union Chapel United Methodist Church. Melvin was a charter member of the Esbon Lions Club, also a charter member of the Whitemound Builders 4-H Club which he was a leader for seven years. He served on the Esbon School Board, was named the farm family of the month in 1959, and named the 4-H family of the year for Kansas in 1997.

Melvin began raising purebred Hampshire breeding stock with the purchase of 10 Hampshire gilts and one Hampshire boar in 1951. He was instrumental in many areas of the swine industry until 1996, when he sold all of his pigs. He was a charter member of the Jewell County Pork Producers, the NCK Pork Producers, the Waconda Area Swine Producers, the Kansas Pork Producers Association, and the Kansas Hampshire Breeders Association. Melvin was an early supporter of the Purebred Boar testing stations at Manhattan and Valley Center, Kansas, and SENEK boar testing at Wymore, Nebraska. He participated in many area, state, and national swine shows placing near or at the top each time. He was well respected world-wide for his purebred Hampshire breeding stock.

Melvin liked to help youth. He spent many hours helping 4-H and FFA youth with their livestock projects. He especially liked to help with livestock judging, hosting many contests, and workouts. He also raised a reputation commercial Angus herd with buyers wanting his steers and heifers.

Melvin never retired from the farm that was his life. In his later years, he loved to grow watermelon, cantaloupe, pumpkins, and decorative gourds, not for sale, but for the pleasure of giving to others. He loved to work with his hands. His hobby was to make barbwire windmills, horseshoe cowboys, barnwood picture frames, hedge root decoratives, and several other wood projects, all to give away to neighbors, friends, relatives, and people he met along his life's journey.

His greatest enjoyment was his family and farm. He was a man of great integrity and values. He taught his family the meaning of hard work and caring for other people.

He was preceded in death by his parents, twin brothers, Carroll Dean & Darrell Lee, two sisters, Maxine Mae Shipley and an infant sister Veradeen, and a grandson, Levi Shipley.

His bride of 57 years, Ione, still lives on the family farm. His son, Gary and wife Teresa, live and work on the farm near Esbon. His son, Lyle and wife Pennie, pastors in the United Methodist Church at Coalgate, OK. His daughter, Melva and husband John Harvey, manage a landscaping business near Raymore, MO; seven grandchildren, Nathan Shipley and wife Natalie of Phoenix, AZ, Cameron Shipley of Wichita, KS, Mindy Shipley of Coalgate, OK, Jason Shipley of Houston, TX, HN Brittany Shipley of Newport News, VA, Carl Harvey of Raymore, MO and Specialist Michael Harvey and wife Cindy of Fort Hood, TX and one great grandchild due in August.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 2:00 P.M., Tuesday, May 1, 2012 at the All Faiths Funeral Chapel, Smith Center, KS. Visitation will be held on Monday, April 30, 2012 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. with the family present to greet friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Burial will be in the Salem Cemetery, Jewell County, KS. Memorials may be given to the Kansas 4-H Foundation, Jewell County 4-H Alumni, Solomon Valley Hospice or Donors Choice in care of the funeral chapel.