Gary Melchert

It's fitting that you answered Jesus' call the day we decided to hold an antiques and collectibles sale in your yard to clean out the trailer. A trailer that carried not just eclectic treasures but your livelihood as a lifelong antiques dealer. On Aug. 30, cherished husband, brother, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend Gary Melchert, an eclectic treasure himself, passed away just 11 days shy of his 78th birthday; he was born Sept. 10, 1947.

Gary is the youngest of 10 children born to Thressa Doxtator and Antone Melchert in Oneida, WI. Drafted at a young age, he served two years in the Armed Forces from December of 1966 to 1968 where he received numerous accolades, including 2 bronze stars, until his honorable discharge. It was soon after that he would meet his wife of 53 years, Patricia Schoessow at the Seymour canning factory. Riding up on his motorcycle, he won her heart. Married on Oct. 28, 1971, together, they would welcome and raise three sons and one daughter. Eventually, they would move the family from the reservation to a brick-and-mortar shop in Princeton, WI, and then later, in retirement, to Hortonville, WI.

Gary provided by traveling hundreds of miles - cigarette in one hand and a cup of strong black coffee in the other - visiting auctions and sales, collecting valuables of days gone by. His hobbies included refinishing and rebuilding furniture and re-selling collectibles at flea markets, sales, and auctions. Gary, a staple at the Shawano Flea Market, a domineering presence in the background of many local auctions, and a haggler with a niche for finding a bargain, appreciated watching thrilling episodes of Antiques Roadshow. He also enjoyed going hunting and fishing with his family, and occasionally, visiting the casino.

Although we remember seeing the road go by under our feet through the rusted holes in the family vehicles, we never went without food in our tummies, clothes on our backs, or a roof over our heads. His status as a sharpshooter carried over into family hunting trips that abruptly ended with him filling the entire hunting party's tags moments upon entering the woods. He was a tall man with a commanding presence. Soft-spoken, with an even softer heart, he left a caring footprint on this Earth, diligently sending packages, along with every penny of his basic pay and allowances, back home from Vietnam to his mom.

Gary was preceded in death by his son, Marshall Melchert; his parents; and his siblings, Florence, Herman, Harvey, Raymond, Antone, Willis, Merlin, Carl, and Carol, and their late spouses. He is survived by his wife, "Patsy;" son Waylon Melchert (special friend Carrie Maass and her children, Garrett and Gage), daughter Tressa Verber (special friend Cole Klosterman), and son Jackson (Kim) Melchert; grandchildren Ainsley Verber and William, Dominic, and Griffin Melchert; and sisters-in-law Carol Melchert and Ruth Melchert; along with numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral services and military honors for Gary will be held at Muehl-Boettcher Funeral Home, Seymour, on Thursday September 4th, 2025 at 5:00 PM with Carl Melchert Jr. officating. Visitation will be held at the funeral home from 3:00 PM until the time of services. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund is being established in Gary's name.