Mel Thorne, age 98, of Brookings, died Sunday, November 22, 2015, at his home in Brookings. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, November 27, 2015, at First Presbyterian Church in Brookings, with interment in Greenwood Cemetery. Visitations will be from 5-7 p.m. Thursday at Eidsness Funeral Home in Brookings, followed by a masonic service at 7:00 p.m.

Melvin Lloyd Thorne was born August 18, 1917, near Stickney, South Dakota, to John Harry and Elizabeth (Haisch) Thorne. He was baptized in the Methodist Church in Mt. Vernon, SD. When he was two years old, his father died in the flu epidemic, and Melvin spent much of his childhood on a farm with his grandmother and step-grandfather, Cornelia and William Davis, who was his hero and mentor. His mother married Richard Hedden, and the family moved to Philip, SD, when that town was in its infancy, so Melvin was well acquainted with the lifestyles of the pioneers. Growing up during the Depression years, he spent much of his life working to help support the family. The family lived in a tent for four years during that time.

At the age of sixteen, Mel left home and went to Lead, SD, where he supported himself while attending and graduating from high school, and much of that time his sleeping quarters were on the roof of the First National Bank building in that city. During and after his senior year, he was employed by the J.C. Penney Company, and at the age of 24 became the youngest and first South Dakotan to become a Penney's store manager. In 1936 he married Mary Jane Spencer. After leaving the Penney Company in 1946 he established Thorne's Clothing Store in Gettysburg, SD. With his love of animals from his farm life with his grandfather, he later studied livestock nutrition, and conceptualized the mobile feed mill which was manufactured by Daffin Manufacturing Company. Mel owned the first Daffin Feed Mobile and later became regional sales manager for the company. In 1958 he researched tourism, activated the franchised tourist campground industry, and developed Kamp Dakota, Inc. He married Arlyce Winther in 1974. After retirement, he traveled extensively representing the United States Chamber of Commerce.

Mel's love of history led him to researching his family's genealogy, and to giving educational programs pertaining to pioneer history to thousands of elementary school children for several years throughout South Dakota. For the state's centennial year, he felled the trees and erected the Centennial Pioneer Log Cabin located in Pioneer Park in Brookings. He trained four oxen and built a covered wagon which were shown and demonstrated in many parades and events.

Mel was a member of First Presbyterian Church where he served as an Elder, Deacon, and Trustee. He was a mason since 1949, belonging to the Ionic Lodge No. 83 in Gettysburg and Brookings Lodge No. 24. He was a member of the Scottish Rite and El Riad Shrine. He joined the South Dakota National Guard in 1935 while living in Lead.

Survivors include his wife of 40 years, Arlyce Winther Thorne; three sons: Roy (Faith) of Hoven, SD, Tim of Brookings, and Tracy (Sandy) of Huron; two daughters, Jeanne (Denny) Weiland of Scottsdale, AZ, and Julie of Omaha, NE; 18 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews, including special nieces Barbara (Lyle) Howey and Susie (James) Marek. He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Josef; a grandson, Spencer; brothers, George Thorne, Richard (Berneice) Hedden, Charles (Phyllis) Hedden; and sisters, Lorrayne (Ingvald) Johnson and Madeline Brooks.