Melvin J. Broeker

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our family patriarch, Melvin Joseph Broeker, the third child of nine children to William Joseph and Ruby Leona (nee: Johnson) Broeker. Mel was born during the Great Depression in Portage des Sioux in St. Charles County, MO on Thursday, April 26, 1934, and comfortably passed at home Friday, March 14, 2025, at the age of 90.

The family was honored to fulfill the deceased's final wish of dying in the home he built with his own hands in St. Charles, MO more than 60 years ago. This home is where Mel and wife, Shirley (nee: Dickey), raised six children - Greg (Cathy), Gena (Mike), Debbie (the late Randy), Doug (Melody), the late Sheila (the late Robert) Roden and Norman. This loving couple left a legacy of offspring, ten grandchildren: Justy, Tosha, Kyle, Mishia, Andy, Kameron, Chloe, Mariah, Tabitha, and Tara, along with seventeen great-grandchildren; dear brother of Mae Smith, Bill (Carol) Broeker; Rose (Bill) Bartlett, Richard (Glenda) Broeker, and James (Karen) Broeker.

Mel and Shirley Broeker married January 20, 1956, and celebrated 58 years of wedded bliss until mom succumbs to cancer October 30, 2014. Having to say goodbye to a beloved spouse was a very difficult adjustment because the sound of laughter was always plentiful in the Broeker home. Our parents often joked and fed off one another. Their funny sayings were endless.

Mel Broeker was a proud Mason and a longstanding member of the Carpenter's Union for more than sixty years. Our father worked tirelessly to provide for his family and would go without to ensure his family did not. Our father was a perfectionist and made sure he did things the right way so that he did not have to go back to do it again. Dad was an electrician at a tender age of thirteen, able to wire a barn on the old homestead. As a welder and pile driver in the construction industry, dad helped to construct most of the bridges in St. Charles County.

Dad enjoyed going to the country, to his second residence in Truxton, where his youngest brother, Jim and his wife, Karen has a home. The place was known as the Property, where dad and his eldest son, Greg, shared land and endless memories. It was on this property that dad collected Farmall tractors, as many as thirteen at one time. Dad was meticulous in every aspect of his life especially when it came to his well-manicured yard. Dad was a consumer of Milwaukee's Best, was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting, fishing and gardening. Dad was also an exceptional craftsman in wood working and made many things that can be seen throughout his home.

Our dearly devoted father, Mel Broeker found eternal peace alongside his hardworking parents, Bill and Ruby, his loving wife, Shirley, and their precious daughter, Sheila Broeker-Roden, as well as other family members and friends.

We invite you to share your memories of Mel and Shirley Broeker. Let's celebrate and honor their lives! How blessed we are to have had them in ours.