In Memory of Bruce ‘Mike’ Melton March 5, 1955 – May 13, 2009
Bruce Michael Melton was born March 5, 1955 in Cleveland, Tennessee, the son of Bennie Joe and Pauline (Higdon) Melton. He moved to Minnesota while in junior high school. In 1973 he graduated from Henry Sibley High School. On August 9, 1986 he was united in marriage with Beth Shafer. Mike enjoyed watching CNN News, fishing, and traveling to California to see his granddaughter. He ran a charter boat on Lake Michigan prior to working 23-years at Rainbow Foods Meat Dept. He was a member of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 653.
He is survived by his mother Pauline; wife Beth; sons Christopher and Michael (Nikki); sister Pam; loving grandpa of Giovanna “Gigi”; and many more family and friends.
Mike (as I’ve always known him) died suddenly from complications associated with a ruptured brain aneurysm.
I met Mike in 1995 when we moved to Cottage Grove. At the time we moved in we were one of just a few homes in our neighborhood. His son Mike and my son Christopher quickly became good friends. Over the 14-years I’ve known Mike we had many good times, from escorting the boys on Halloween to hanging with the Friday night crew in the driveway to our ice fishing trips to Lake of the Woods. I’m blessed to have had the opportunity to know him and will miss his friendship.
To honor my friend Mike I’m dedicating my race June 7, 2009, at the Buffalo Triathlon to his memory and will pledge a donation in memoriam to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation.
The Brain Aneurysm Foundation is the nation’s only nonprofit organization solely dedicated to providing critical awareness, education, support and research funding to reduce the incidence of brain aneurysms.
So if you can, please help out by making a donation. Every donation matters – every dollar counts. Your donations are used to further educate the public about brain aneurysms, to support patients and families, and to develop awareness programs and educational materials for hospitals, clinics, and other institutions worldwide.
Awareness levels and education of the general public and medical professionals, especially in ER’s and primary care settings, need to be addressed to promote early detection and prevent misdiagnosis. Your gift will help to fund essential research that can directly benefit those affected and help to reduce the incidence of ruptured aneurysms.
