Obituary of Evelyn Forus Melum

Evelyn Forus Melum was born on October 26,1919, in Mayville, North Dakota. 

She passed from this earth on May 10, 2024, at the age of 104-1/2. She was the youngest of seven children born to Gustav and Albertine Forus. The family moved to Minneapolis near Lake Calhoun when she was 3 years old. In order to have room for animals and a garden, her father later bought land in Bloomington, took down a Minneapolis house, and rebuilt it on the “farm” where they no longer had electricity or running water. Evelyn attended Bloomington schools from seventh grade through high school. She graduated in 1937 as valedictorian of her class. She attended Macalester College for three years.    

She married Arthur Melum on February 20, 1943. After the war, they settled down in Bloomington where they raised their two children, Eric and Kristine.  She returned to Macalester to finish her degree and began teaching homebound students. In 1959, she became the first ever high school special education teacher in Bloomington. Later, she returned to school to earn a Master’s degree in counseling. She continued to teach and do counseling in the adult education program until she was 70. In addition to teaching, she was the advisor for the AFS club for many years. The American Field Service program hosted students from around the world and sent Bloomington students abroad.  

In 1966, she and Art decided to buy a small resort on Gull Lake. Evelyn became a widow in 1967 and continued to teach and run the resort during summers for over 30 years. 

As a long-time member of Oak Grove, she taught Sunday School, filled in for the organist, and was a member of circle and an adult social group called the InBetweeners (in between the cradle and the grave).  

Evelyn had a deep love of family.  When asked what she was most proud of in her life, she would say her family. She loved reading, traveling, playing cards (especially Bridge) and her dogs-both real and robotic. Her travels took her all over Europe, China, Brazil, Israel, Egypt and Morocco. She traveled to Norway numerous times. As a lifelong learner, she was a member of several book clubs and AAUW.  As a young mom, she was a member of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and the philanthropic women’s group T.T.T. Society.   

Evelyn is survived by and will be missed by her daughter, Kristine Anderson, grandchildren Bjorn Anderson (Sopanha), Kari Anderson, Erik Anderson (Clarise), Daniel Melum (Faryn) and Arielle Melum (Aaron Olson), and eight great-grandchildren.