Clyde Tise

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 12 p.m. Saturday, May 21, 2016 at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose. Rev. Ken Thielman will officiate. Friends may call 1 hour prior to the service on Saturday at the funeral home. Inurnment will occur at a later date. Military honors will be by the Melrose Veterans Honor Guard.

Lifelong Melrose resident, Clyde Tise died Friday, December 18, 2015, less than a month before his 93rd birthday, at the CentraCare Health Nursing Home in Melrose. Clyde was born January 10, 1923, the youngest of 12 children to Joseph and Mary (Borget) Tise. A graduate of Melrose High School, Clyde enlisted in the Army while still a teenager, proudly serving his country as a member of what Tom Brokaw has called the "Greatest Generation." As World War II began, he trained with the Army Air Corps and served as a navigator and bombardier with a B-17 squadron flying out of an air base in Chelveston, England. Though dubbed "The Flying Fortress," as arguably the Army Air Corps' most durable, well-armed aircraft, a B-17 and its crew faced extremely hazardous duty. Estimates indicated that a crewman had a one in four chance of completing his tour of duty-due to those hazards, B-17 crew members typically flew 25 missions then went home. Despite sustaining a serious shoulder wound during a bombing run, Clyde extended his tour eventually completing 37 missions before he returned home.

After his discharge in 1945, he worked for a time with his sister, Delia, and brother, Sonny, at Tise Bar-a business his father started. Clyde joined the American Legion and, with several fellow veterans, helped establish the Schanhaar-Otte Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7050 in 1946, serving as its 1946-47 Commander. He also joined the Sauk Centre National Guard Unit, and in 1950, he and his unit, the136th Infantry Regiment, began training for a two-year tour of duty; he served in Korea as a food service officer until his discharge in 1952. Returning to Melrose, Clyde worked for Albin Duerr in the City Meat Market before joining the US Department of Agriculture as a federal inspector at the Hormel plant in Austin for two years in the mid-50's. He returned to the City Meat Market until lower back issues forced him to leave in the early 60's. For a brief period, he worked for DeZurik, Inc. in Sartell and as a rural mail carrier in Melrose before returning to the USDA inspecting several meat markets and poultry plants from Worthington to Aitkin. He concluded his USDA career as Inspector in Charge of the Jennie-O plant in Melrose.

Besides remaining active with the National Guard, VFW, and Legion, Clyde also served with the Melrose Fire Department for 40 years and performed as one of the first lay lectors for St. Mary's Church. When he retired from the National Guard in 1983, his total years of military service exceeded 27. In 1985, he retired from the USDA as well, but retirement did not slow Clyde down-he, along with wife, Virginia, delivered Meals on Wheels for 10 years, and he kept his meat cutting skills sharp well into his 80's by spending time with Kevin and his other friends at the Meat Shoppe. Throughout his life, Clyde enjoyed fishing, hunting, cooking, reading, and traveling, as well as watching the Twins and Gophers, but nothing gave him more pleasure than time spent with family and friends. His gregarious, generous nature made making friends easy for him-he took a genuine interest in others and their families, consistently putting everyone else before himself. Clyde took pride in family, friends, and in his community and military service. As a final gift, Clyde donated his body to the Anatomy Bequest Program at the University of Minnesota.

Survivors include his wife of 66 years, Virginia of Melrose, and son, Karl of Dundas; former daughter-in-law, Marian Tise of Dundas; grandchildren: Chad Storlie (Deborah), Charles "Chip" Storlie, Rick Storlie (fiancé, Rachel), and Melissa Storlie; great-grandchildren: Breanna Storlie, Mason Storlie, Aaron Storlie, Connor Storlie, and Tanner Storlie; also nieces, LaNita Bennett, Ronelda Kinsey, Myrna Lindeman (Al), Cheryl Zawicki, Bonnie Schneider, Judy Austing (Mel), Marlene Tise, and many grand nieces, nephews…and friends, especially the Coborn Deli's morning "coffee club," longtime friend, Bob Hollermann, National Guard comrade, Rod Helland and wife, Phyllis, and former neighbors, Sandy Jenny and Bob Asseln.

Son, Larry, preceded Clyde in death as did parents, Mary and Joe; siblings: Delia Lemm, Alma Sandbrink, Ihrma Tise, Helen Tise, Ervin "Sonny" Tise, Laverne "Tubby" Tise, Lorraine Hall, Melvin Tise, Leola Tise, Maretta Schneider, and a brother who died at birth; in-laws: Leo Lemm, Roman Sandbrink, Ann Tise, Lucy Tise, James Hall, Jerry Schneider, and Frank Bennett; niece, Ronayne Lee; nephew, Lamonde "Buzzy" Lemm, grand-nephew, Greg Lindeman; and close friends, Don Kraker, Romie Moorman, Abe Spaeth, Donald "Swede" Rehkamp Joe Juen, Richard Mclellan, and Joe Berscheit.

Clyde's family thanks everyone involved with his care. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your favorite charity in Clyde's name.