Harold Roelike

Dr. Harold H. Roelike, age 87, of Melrose, died Thursday, October 9, 2008 at the Pine Villa Care Center in Melrose.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, October 13, 2008 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Melrose with Rev. Vincent Lieser officiating. Interment will follow in the parish cemetery with military honors provided by the Melrose Veterans Honor Guard.

Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday and from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose. Knights of Columbus Council #1633 will pray at 5 p.m. followed by parish prayers at 7 p.m. Sunday evening at the funeral home.

Harold Roelike was born May 21, 1921 in Melrose, Minnesota to Dr. Stephen and Alma (Kummer) Roelike. He attended St. Mary's Grade School and Melrose High School, where his interests lay in clarinet, saxophone, flute, baritone, and piano accompanist to choral groups. The last two years of high school he played in a dance band called "Hermie's Harmony Hermits". He received the American Legion Citizen's Medal his senior year. He also participated in declamation contests. He spent an extra year in high school taking extra subjects and worked as a telephone operator, sold newspapers, and played in the dance band. He enrolled at the University of Minnesota in pre-med which could be used to apply to either medicine or dentistry. He enrolled in the school of dentistry in 1942 and was inducted into the ASTP (Army) until 1944. He graduated from the school of dentistry in December of 1947. On January 2, 1947, he was united in marriage to Florentine "Flo" Bauer in New Munich, Minnesota. He practiced in Freeport from 1947 to 1952 when he was once more drafted into the Navy and served with the Marines in Korea. On July 29, 1953 they stood on a hill and listened to the end of the Korean War at 9 p.m. No more 240's going overhead every eight minutes, no more machine guns! He returned to Freeport, where he practiced until 1958. In 1959 they moved into a new office on 2nd Avenue North, which is now a city parking lot. His father died in 1963 and he continued to practice with several associates until joined by Dr. Sieben in Melrose. He taught at the U of M Dental School, sold his practice to Dr. Sieben, and moved to Minneapolis in 1972, teaching in oral diagnosis and radiology and also dental auxiliaries. He retired in 1986. He was active in church activities, serving as head of the diocesan curia of the Legion of Mary for seven years. He served as Eucharistic minister at St. Mary's Catholic Church. He was also director of the Columbian Squire and served on the initiation committee of the Knights of Columbus for 25 years. He took over playing the organ for the church choir when the nuns were taken away form choir work. He was also chairman of the school board. Harold loved the outdoors and his hobbies included backpacking in the Tetons, camping, canoeing, snowshoeing, and spending time at his cabin in Wyoming.

He is survived by his son, Tim (Suzanne Roback) of Tucson, Arizona; daughter, Mary Jane (Robert) Blonigen of Upsala; grandchildren, Hayley and Nicholas; and sister, Joyce (Ed) Nyhus of Denver, Colorado.

Harold was preceded in death by his wife, Florentine on December 2, 2007; and son, Paul in April of 2006.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the American Alzheimer's Association and the American Cancer Society.