Melva Jacobson Leafstedt was born November 23, 1934, at her parent's home near Bridgewater, South Dakota. She was the eldest of three children of Lowell and Marie (Akland) Jacobson. She passed away peacefully on March 11, 2013, at her home in Alcester, South Dakota, at the age of 78 years. Melva graduated from Alcester High School in 1953. She attended Gustavus Adolphus College and completed her BS degree in home economics education at the University of Minnesota in 1957. It was fitting that Melva's career choice was teaching home economics, because cooking and sewing were always her favorite leisure activities. She taught home economics at Lake Preston, SD, and Homestead, FL, and was a frequent substitute teacher in the Alcester school system. In addition, Melva conducted cooking demonstrations at local home shows and fairs and judged food exhibits at the county and state fairs. She joyfully shared her expertise by teaching and mentoring her children, grandchildren, and many women in the arts of homemaking, all of whom have loving memories of time spent working and laughing with her in their kitchens. When she wasn't teaching, she worked in the family farming operation beside her husband maintaining the records for Leafstedt Farms. She married James Leafstedt on August 10, 1957, and delighted in being a wife, mother, and grandmother. She lovingly spent many hours reading to her grandchildren and playing educational games, and was deeply proud of them as she watched them develop. Melva pursued her relationship with Christ through daily devotions and prayer and shared her faith through her patience, kindness, gentleness, and joy. She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith and attended Big Springs Baptist Church with her husband and family. She served as a Sunday school teacher and shared her beautiful singing voice as a choir member and soloist. Melva was a founding member of Beta Sigma Phi sorority in Alcester, a former president and member of the Alcester-Hudson school board, and, more recently, a member of the Red Hat Society. Her parents preceded her in death. Her surviving loved ones include husband, James Leafstedt, a daughter, Charlotte, and her husband, Steve Rommereim; a son, Jonathan, and his wife, Carla; and five grandchildren, Lara and Leah Rommereim, and William, Thomas, and Catherine Leafstedt. Her brother, Lowell Jacobson and his wife, Beverly; her sister, Muriel, and her husband and James' brother, Stuart Leafstedt; her nieces and nephews, Jennifer Jacobson, Julie Coney, Anne Hussian, Carl and Matthew Leafstedt, and her extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins. Visitation will be held at Big Springs Baptist Church, rural Alcester, SD on Thursday, March 14 from 5:30-8:00 pm with family present from 6:00-8:00 pm and prayer service at 7:00 pm. Funeral services are Friday, March 15, 2:00 pm at Big Springs Baptist Church.