Alvina Marie Melquist age 88 of Volga, passed away on Sunday, June 28th at The Neighborhoods at Brookview under hospice care. Funeral Services will be held at First Lutheran Church in Volga on Thursday, July 16th at 11am. Visitation prior to service will be held at 10:00. A luncheon will follow after the service. A celebration of life and burial will be held at the Winthrop Cemetery on Friday July 17 at 2:00 with pie and coffee to follow at First Lutheran Church in Winthrop. Everyone is encouraged to come and visit. Eidsness Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

Alvina or Vina as many people called her was born February 17,1938 to Clarence E. and Thelma B. (Mehus) Lindquist at Peabody Hospital in Webster, SD. She grew up in Webster SD, and in 1956, she graduated from Webster High School. Alvina then worked for a time at the ASCS office in Webster.

She moved to the Twin Cities and spent her single years working at House of Prayer Lutheran Church and Abbott-Northwestern School of Nursing. In 1976 She married Arvid Albin Melquist and moved to Winthrop, MN. They met at a dance and would continue going to dances together for many years. They were blessed with a daughter, Annica, who she adored. In Winthrop she was a stay at home Mom, and then worked for the school district. In her retirement she was a hospice volunteer. She and Arvid moved to Volga, SD in 2015 to be closer to Annica and family.l

Alvina was a devoted member of the ELCA Church. Most recently being a member of the First Lutheran church in Volga, SD and Winthrop, MN, Her church was one of the most important things in her life. She would serve in various church events and activities as she was able.

Alvina loved to travel and over the course of her life she took various trips to Europe, Islands in the Caribbean, and throughout the USA. Alvina loved camping with family. From local State Parks and campgrounds, to larger trips to Yellowstone and Canada. Along with camping, Alvina enjoyed fishing and looked forward to any trip including fishing. While living in the Twin Cities her love of baseball grew. She would often go with friends to watch the Twins play at Met Stadium.

She loved to work in her garden and especially loved to see God’s beauty in her flowers. Alvina and Arvid strove to always have a beautiful yard and worked to keep it full of birds and flowers. She always enjoyed hosting family events and loved to cook and bake. Alvina was known as the “Cookie Grandma” by her grandsons.

Survivors include daughter Annica, and son-in-law Mike Hornick of Volga; grandsons, Joe and Chris; sister-in-law Mary Lindquist, and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Arvid, parents, brother Albin Lindquist, sister and brother in law Betty and Jerry Warner, nephew Scott Lindquist, and several cousins.