Nancy A. Melcher, 75, of Sheboygan passed away unexpectedly Saturday night, April 30,2022 at Aurora Sheboygan Memorial Medical Hospital surrounded by her loved ones.
Nan was born November 4, 1946, in Toledo, Ohio and was the third of five children of David and Nina Turnbull. She grew up in Lambertville, Michigan, where she attended St. Anthony’s Elementary School and graduated from Bedford High School in 1964. Nan enlisted in the Navy where she proudly served her country during the Vietnam era and worked as a nurse in Bethesda, Maryland, where she cared for returning soldiers in the surgical care unit.
On April 13, 1966, she married James (Jim) L. Herber, a Navy corpsman, at the U.S Naval Hospital at Bethesda, MD. They were married for 13 years and had two daughters Monica (Herber) Dinsmore and Meridith (Herber) Perl. Jim preceded her in death and on December 26, 1981, she married Robert (Bob) F. Melcher and was married for 25 years.
Nan was employed at Lakeland Leather, Wigwam Mills, Country Kitchen and in September 2021, after 31 years, she retired from Walmart. In her spare time, she was committed to helping those in need and knitted hundreds of afghans for the homeless, retirement home residents and people in rehabilitation.
A strong work ethic and ability to persevere were traits which Nan exemplified and passed on to her children and grandchildren. She worked tirelessly during her widowhood to support her daughters and lead by example. Although she had many severe medical issues in the last decade, she showed her courage and determination as she fought to live independently.
Nan was a compassionate protector of wildlife in her area. She cared for an outdoor cat colony for decades, providing year-round food and shelter during the bitter winter months. Nan was able to domesticate a number of ferals and each lived out their lives in the safety of her home. She had names for each one of them, inside and out. Ringo and Sammy, two of her domesticated ferals, will miss their favorite person.
She is survived by her daughter Meridith (Thomas) Perl, Sheboygan, grandchildren Michael Perl, Anthony Perl, Tomi Jo Perl (Walter Holtrop), all of Sheboygan and Elisabeth (William) Martin of Nashua, N.H., great grandchild Owen Martin, Nashua, N.H. and her great grandchild due in August; her siblings Faye Hartline, Judith Schreiner, David (Sharon) Turnbull and Marni (Robert) Rose all of Michigan; a sister-in-law Jody Cappel and brother-in-law Jack (Michele) Herber as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Nan was preceded in death by her parents David and Nina Turnbull, husbands James L. Herber and Robert F. Melcher, daughter Monica A. Dinsmore and her two long-term felines Seeker and Crosby.
Per Nan’s wishes, there will be no funeral service but Military Honors will be held in honor of Nan at 2:00 PM on Friday July 22, 2022 at the Lutheran Cemetery. If you are planning to attend please reach out to a family member. Afterwards there will be a Celebration of Life.
The family would like to thank The ER Team, the ICU Nurses Melissa, Alexis, Bryan and Mikayla, the Respiratory Team and Dr. Kuttickat for their kind and compassionate care and support.
The Olson Funeral Home & Cremation Service has been entrusted with Nan’s arrangements.
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