Neil M. Handlos

Neil Melton was born on September, 3, 1915, in Sydney, MT to Albert and Flora Pentz Handlos. He attended school in Montana and later joined the Civilian Conservation Corps. He then enlisted in the Navy where he was an Aircraft Navigator and a Flight Engineer. After his time in the Navy, Neil returned to the Midwest where he ranched and farmed before starting as a contractor. On February 1, 1941, he married Wilma Wheeler in Webeau, MT. They moved to Upper Cormorant Lake in 1958. Wilma died in 1996. After retirement, Neil volunteered with Senior Companions for over 20 years. He also enjoyed hunting, fishing, wood carving and gardening. Neil was a lifetime member of the VFW in West Fargo, ND, and a member of the American Legion in Lake Park, MN. He is survived by his daughter, Mary Jack Dunford, Coon Rapids, MN; two grandchildren, Michael Michelle Dunford, Eden Prairie, MN and Colleen James Johnson, Mounds View, MN; five great-grandchildren, Kathleen and Emily Dunford, Madisen, Sawyer and Wyatt Johnson; and two half-sisters, Mona Handlos, Denver, CO and Kitty Bob Reed, Vermont. He is preceded in death by his wife, Wilma, parents, three brothers, Donald, Keith and Grant and two half-brothers, Gene and Mic. A social will be held immediately following the service at the Lake Park American Legion, Lake Park, MN.