Pleas,+Melvin

17550 Dunbar Rd. Mount Vernon, WA 98273 360 424-7250
 * Melvin Pleas**

Melvin's pictures


 * 2009**: I married Patricia (Pattie) Hanstad on November 7, 1959 and we had 3 children. We lost our youngest daughter in 1980 when she was just 16. Losing her put a very big hole in the hearts of our entire family. We now have 4 grown grandchildren and we are about to have our 4th GREAT-grandson. Pattie and I are most thankful for our family.

I worked heavy construction in Washington and the oil pipeline in Alaska. After working on the pipeline in Alaska I began my own earthmoving business. In 1981 it took me to Alaska for projects in Anchgorage and the surrounding areas. We returned to work in Washington in 1987 and in 1989 sold out.

In 1990 I bought a commercial fishing boat and permit and began fishing S.E. Alaska. During that time I retired from I.U.O.E. Local 302 and continued to fish in S.E. Alaska for 10 years.

Pattie and I have built two homes. Our first was in Snohomish in 1974 and the second was in Stanwood. We thought we would live there for the rest of our years, but annexation to the city came and the influx of homes and people, so we sold out in 2005 and moved back to Mount Vernon to live our our retirement years.

Retirement today consists of traveling and working and playing with old cars. I am especially proud of my 1941 Cadillac Coupe, but now have a 1940 Chevrolet sedan and a 1940 Ford convertible as projects.

Pattie and I took a cruise in 2005 from San Diego to Costa Rica and then through the Panama Canal to Aruba and Florida. In 2007 we drove 31 states and the East Coast. We have now traveled to all 50 states and to all 5 of the Great Lakes. This year we will celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary and hope to travel more in the future.

I want to say "thank you" to the reunion committee for their hard work and planning over the years. It's a big job and keeping us all connected and in touch is very much appreciated.