Melvin Lyle Woell, age 88, died Tuesday, September 21, 2010, at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, IL. He was born January 8, 1922 to Joseph J. Woell and Ida Werner in Todd County Minnesota. He received his formal education in the Staples, Minnesota area.

On October 5, 1947 he married Eileen Howard at the Presbyterian Church in Plummer, Minnesota. They have three children, R.Dee Woell, Lansing, Michigan; Vicky Krupka (James), Lombard, Illinois; and Mark Woell (Gail), Littleton, Colorado; and three grandchildren, Jessica Krupka (Greg Szegeski, fiancé), Jasan Krupka and Dana Woell.

Melvin was a Farm Bureau fieldman in northwest Minnesota for five years and a fieldman in southeast Minnesota for three years before moving to St. Paul, Minnesota as Broadcast Director for the Minnesota Farm Bureau. In 1956 Melvin became Director of Information for the Missouri Farm Bureau. In 1960 the family moved to Lansing, Michigan where Melvin became head of the Information Department of the Michigan Farm Bureau. In 1969 he became Director of Broadcast Services with the American Farm Bureau Federation with offices in Chicago. In 1974 he was appointed Editor of The AMERICAN FARMER magazine, and in 1977 he became Coordinator of Administrative Affairs, a position he held from 1977 until his retirement in 1990. He authored "Farm Bureau Architects," a historical ag-reference book which was published and distributed nationally in 1991. The text covers the farm leadership concerns and actions spanning the four decades of Melvin's career.

Throughout his retirement Melvin engaged in his favorite activities as an antiques flea market dealer, furniture refinisher and world traveler. Melvin traveled to 6 continents and all 50 states. Some of the countries he traveled to, up into his 80's, were: Egypt, Austria, South Africa, Libya, New Zealand, Morocco, Guatemala, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Thailand, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland, Mexico and Canada.

For the past 40 years Melvin and Eileen have lived in Wheaton, Illinois, and been active members of Bethel Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

He is survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren.

A visitation will be held Thursday, September 23, 2010 from 4 to 8:00 PM at Hultgren Funeral Home, 304 N. Main, Wheaton, IL 60187. A funeral service will be held Friday, September 24, 2010 at 11:00 AM at Bethel Presbyterian Church, 1401 S. Naperville Rd, Wheaton IL 60189. Interment will follow at Wheaton Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be directed to Baptist Mid-Missions for Robert Kilko, c/o Eileen Woell at Bethel Presbyterian Church, 1401 S. Naperville Rd, Wheaton IL 60189. Further information; call 630-668-0027.