Melvin Russell Seppala

Melvin R. Seppala, 85, of Sandpoint passed away on Sunday, October 12, 2014 at Bonner General Hospital. Memorial services will be conducted 11:00AM Saturday, October 18, 2014 at Coffelt Funeral Service. Inurnment will follow in Pack River Cemetery. He was born September 25, 1929 in Cloquet, MN the son of John and Julia Seppala. He was raised and educated in Cloquet. Following his schooling in Cloquet he worked with his father in the family gravel business. In 1951 he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served during the Korean Conflict. Following his discharge he married the love of his life Joyce Grindle on June 19, 1954 in Cloquet. They lived in Cloquet for the next 19 years where he worked for Potlatch Paper Company while continuing in the family business. In 1973 they moved to Sandpoint where he worked as a roving millwright for Louisiana Pacific. He retired from the McFarland Pole Yard in 1995. Melvin was a life member of the North America Hunting Association. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, tinkering with cars, doing carpentry, and spending quality time with his family. If something could be fixed, constructed, or made to function better he was the man for the job. Melvin is survived by his wife, Joyce of Sandpoint; 3 children: Keven (Sandi) Seppala of Sagle, ID, Lynnae (Mike) Reed of Alaska, Ross (Lisa) Seppala of Moyie Springs, ID; 5 grandchildren: Eric, James (Mandy), Cory, Hillary, Kayla; 3 great grandchildren: Myä, Lana, Josiah; 1 brother: Ervin (Dorothy) Seppala of Cloquet, MN; 1 sister: Janet Puline of Cloquet, MN; and by numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his son Steven Seppala in 2004.