A beloved wife, partner, “great” aunt and friend, Melissa A. Wick, 71, began her newest adventure on May 21, 2021.
Melissa was born on May 5, 1950 in Hartland, Minnesota. She graduated from Blooming Prairie, MN High School in 1968. After high school she graduated from the University of Minnesota and then obtained an MBA through the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN.
Her working career started in the Twin Cities and included stops at 1st Minnehaha Bank and V.I.P. Credit Union before landing at Twin City Federal where she met her future husband, Brian Kuehl, on May 16, 1984. Concluding her banking career, Melissa started her sales career first in Spokane, Washington and later in Lawrence, KS. This included wholesale giftware sales representing Harlan Lutz & Associates in Washington and then with Pacesetter Enterprises based in Overland Park, KS. She concluded her working career at a gift shop in Lawrence, KS and then by working part-time monthly for the U.S. Census Bureau.
All that work led Melissa to the “best job I’ve ever had” and that was retirement. After a 12-year friendship, sometimes from afar, Melissa married Brian L. Kuehl on September 21st, 1996 in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. She joined Brian in Lawrence, KS at that point and they began plotting the road to retirement. Melissa’s came in 2013 followed by Brian in 2015.
Melissa’s Facebook page says it all: Recreationologist and vacation specialist. Prior to and upon retirement the world had become Melissa’s and Brian’s to conquer. They traveled to all 50 states, 34 of the 50 state capitals, 28 National Parks, all of the presidential libraries, all the major league ballparks, Australia, Europe, Asia, Antarctica, South America, Iceland, China and Cuba. And they were just getting started.
In between travel, Melissa enjoyed volunteering for the League of Women Voters of Lawrence Douglas County, as an usher at the Lied Center and she loved selling cookies and concessions at Theatre Lawrence. She also volunteered at Audio Reader reading gardening magazines for a blind individual. She joined the local chapter of the NAACP and belonged to several book clubs.
Grateful for having shared her life, is her husband Brian Kuehl. Her sisters Corrine Lenort of Blooming Prairie, MN; Carol (Mark) Bergo of Northwood, IA; Janice (Brett) Peterson of Waseca, MN; and Nancy (Doug) Wick of Waseca, MN. Also, brothers Alan “Butch” Wick of St. Peter, MN and Greg (Lois) Wick of Waseca, MN. In addition, she is survived by her mother-in-law Helen Kuehl of Moorhead, MN; brothers-in-law Wayne (Diane) Kuehl of St. Cloud, MN and Kelly (Dawn) Kuehl of Minneapolis, MN and sister-in-law Lisa (Kelly) Myers of Ada, MN.
Melissa also had many nieces and nephews, great and great-great nephews and nieces.
She is preceded in death by her mom Louise Wick, her brothers Kerry, Wayne, Jeff and baby Bruce Wick and a sister Elizabeth (Betty) Fuhs. Also preceding her was her sister-in-law Donna Wick and nephews Rodney Spooner and Justin Peterson.
In lieu of flowers, consider a donation to:
Theatre Lawrence
4660 Bauer Farm Dr.
Lawrence, KS 66049
League of Women Voters-LDC
P. O. Box 1072
Lawrence, KS 66044
A celebration of her life will occur at 5:30 on Wednesday May 26th at Maceli’s, 1031 New Hampshire in Lawrence, KS. This will be following a visitation (3:00) and a memorial tribute (4:00) at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana St., Lawrence KS.
Later celebrations of her life will occur in Minnesota and Spokane, WA at a date and time to be determined.
