Lynette Lee Melby

Lynette Lee Melby, 73, of Vermillion, SD passed away April 2, 2024 after a courageous battle with ovarian cancer.
Lynette was born August 30, 1950, to Lawrence “Ludey” and Delilah (Petersen) Williams in Vermillion, SD. She graduated from Vermillion High School in 1968. She married Jerald Johnson in 1970 and had four children. In 1990 Lynette married Neil Melby in Minnesota, and they welcomed Elly into their lives. Lynette first received her associate degree in 2005 from the University of South Dakota, and her bachelor’s degree in 2007 from South Dakota State University, both in nursing. She then went on to pursue her master’s in nursing, family nurse practitioner degree, also at South Dakota State University, graduating in 2010.
Lynette had a passion for mental health, working at numerous facilities including Falls Community Health, Human Services Center, Minnehaha County Jail, South Dakota State Penitentiary, Avera Behavioral Health, as well as seeing patients alongside her late son, Dr. Jeremy Johnson, at Emerald Psychological Services.
Lynette also had a strong life-long connection with Camp Foster YMCA in Spirit Lake, IA.  She volunteered annually to spend a week or two as camp nurse, often recruiting family to pitch in and help to provide nursing care to the campers and staff, which usually included her own children and grandchildren.  Members of Lynette’s family have attended or worked at Camp Foster for nearly 50 years.
Lynette and Neil developed a wonderful friendship with a PBR bull rider which led to a passion for traveling to bull riding events and became the proud parents of Boone and Karisma (PBR bucking bulls). They traveled all over the Midwest watching them throw off world class bull riders.  
Lynette enjoyed traveling as much as she could, especially with Neil and her grandchildren. She visited numerous countries, with one of her last trips visiting the Scottish Highlands with Neil. One of her most favorite traveling traditions was staying a week in Brainard, MN every anniversary the last years with Neil, revisiting where they honeymooned.
Lynette leaves behind her husband, Neil. Also surviving are her children Thad Johnson, Kally (Dustin Skrdlant) Johnson, Kenna (Jill Lentsch) Kennedy, Elly (Bennet) Johnson, and daughter-in-law Heather Johnson. Grateful for having shared her life are her sisters Jeanette (Mark Wetmore) Williams and Annette (Duane) Buthe, as well as sister-in-law Luci Melby and brother-in-law Colin Melby. Grandma Net also leaves her grandchildren Madelyn and Samantha Johnson, Ashlyn and Hendrix Kennedy, and Beau and Emmett Johnson as well as niece Melissa Jopling-Allen and nephews Dustin and Dallas Jopling.
Lynette was preceded in death by her son, Jeremy Johnson, and son in her heart, Barrett Haukaas, as well as parents and grandparents.
Memorial service will be at 11:00 Saturday, April 6, at the Hansen Funeral Home, 1120 E Main St., Vermillion.