Melvin Mclaughlin

Heaven has called home another member of The Greatest Generation. Melvin F. McLaughlin, 96 of Penfield, PA died on Friday, December, 23, 2022 at his home with family at his side.
He was born on November 24, 1926 in Clearfield (Goshen), a son of the late Charles H. and Emma F. (Rabenstein) McLaughlin.
Melvin was very proud of his service to our country in the U.S Army during WWII. He served in the Pacific Theater, first in the Philippines then later with the first wave of troops into Japan following the atomic bomb drops. Like many of his fellow service members, he rarely spoke of his experiences in the war. He did say frequently that growing up where he did and the values many were raised with at that time, helped he and many others serving from the Clearfield area to better deal with those wartime experiences. Upon returning home, he worked at various jobs in the Clearfield area. During that time, he met and married Bernice Peoples. They built a home together and worked at raising a family in Curwensville, PA, eventually moving in 1959 to New York State in pursuit of work. He worked for 20 years at Kraft Foods in Dunkirk, NY as their sole fork lift mechanic, growing their fleet from three to thirty-five fork lifts before his retirement from there in 1979. He and Bernice then returned to PA, settling in Penfield where they took over operation of the Quaker State service station in town and began bringing his long-time dream of building a camp ground to life. He later moved on from the service station business and began a career with PA Department of Forestry, starting at Clarion State Park, then later closer to home at S.B. Elliot State Park. They sold the camp ground in 1996 and he retired from the park in 1997. His wife Bernice was called Home in 1998. Melvin served for 50-plus years as a Pennsylvania Forest Fire Warden and also served into his 80s as fire lookout on the Rockton Fire Tower. In that tower, he proudly and patiently taught many of his children and grandchildren the art of spotting and locating forest fires and directing responders to those fires. Manning that tower was his favorite job, listening to the old-time country music from Phillipsburg while enjoying the difference that he made watching over "God's Country." In 2000 Melvin was blessed with meeting and beginning a new life with Kathryn Cox of Bellefonte PA. They were side by side for many years, each of their strengths and weaknesses offsetting the others until death they did part. Melvin loved building almost anything out of wood, steel and concrete. He also loved old clocks. When climbing the ladders and welding the steel and mixing the concrete became exceedingly difficult for him, he combined two of his loves and began building small scale representations of the various things he'd worked on or built throughout his life. Friends and family's homes and some local businesses are graced with the scaled lighthouses, fire towers, houses, train stations, pubs, restaurants and especially clocks that he built. "His Katie" was very much a participant in many of those projects, often being the extra hands needed and always the painter and detailer of them. Melvin was a lifetime member of the VFW and a longtime member of the Penfield Fireman's Club.
He is survived by sons, Melvin D. McLaughlin and wife Ann Marie of Fredonia, NY and Michael S. McLaughlin and wife Dawn of Cassadaga, NY and Earl E. Cox and wife Joan of Grassflat, PA and Ronald V. Cox of Ocala, FL and Wayne A. Cox of Bellefonte, PA and Darryl L. Cox of Bellefonte, PA; and daughters, Terry L. Clifford and husband Martin of Hedgesville, WV and Jodi A. Auman and husband Gary of Milesburg, PA and Dana L. Cox of Milesburg, PA.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 52 years Bernice (Peoples) McLaughlin on January 15, 1998; sons Daniel E. McLaughlin and Charles D. McLaughlin and Lester Cox; a daughter-in-law, Beth A. McLaughlin; six brothers, William, James, Victor, Alton, Wilton, and Charles Jr. McLaughlin; three sisters, Irene Smith, Loretta Shearer and Eva Bailor.
Funeral services will be held at the Beardsley Funeral Home and Crematory, Clearfield, PA on Friday, December 30th at 11:00 AM with Pastor Ken Leonard officiating. Interment will be in the Webster Road Cemetery, Pomfret, NY.
Military honors will be accorded at funeral home by the Clearfield Honor Guard.
Friends will be received at the funeral home on Thursday from 4-7 PM and on Friday from 10-11 AM.
The family suggests that memorial contributions be made to the Bennett’s Valley Ambulance Service, St. Jude's or Shriner's Hospital, or Wounded Warriors.
The list of Dad’s caregivers that deserve a special “thank you” is too large to list here. Most know who they are, and we sincerely thank you all. The family does want to say that as far as this family is concerned, the VA Home-Based Care Unit and Clinic based in DuBois, PA should be the standard that all other VA groups are held to. That group of caregivers simply could not have been any better. Additionally – to Misty, Alice, Dolly, and Jessica: A very special thank you from the family for helping to make Dad’s last months at home as good as they could have been. Last but certainly not least, a huge thank you to the Bennett’s Valley Ambulance Service for service above and beyond the call of duty helping our Dad through the recent years.
To sign the on-line guest book, go to www.beardsleyfuneralhome.com.