Melvin J. "Mel" Ertz
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 7B - January 17, 2021
Melvin J. Ertz
October 15, 1948 - January 11, 2021
Melvin J. Ertz, of Grand
Junction, Colorado, beloved
husband, father, and baptized
child of God, was taken to rest
in Christ on January 11, 2021,
at Paonia Care Center. He lived
a life shaped by God’s gifts
of baptismal grace and faith,
and died in God’s promises of
eternal life for all who trust in
Jesus’ redeeming death and
resurrection.
Mel was born on October 15, 1948, to Louie and Georgia Ertz in
Gregory, South Dakota. As an infant, he was baptized into salvation
and faith in Jesus on October 24, 1948, in Butte, Nebraska.
He and Jeanette were married in December 1971, and remained
so for over 49 years. Mel was under the care of the memory unit at
Paonia Care Center since October ,2017.
Soon after graduating high school in 1967, he was drafted into
the U.S. Army. He served his country in Vietnam for a year, before
returning home safely to South Dakota. After he and Jeanette were
married, they relocated to Colorado Springs. He stopped to ask
directions at a garage door company where they offered him a job
instead of giving him directions. This began his long career in the
garage door business. Mel and Jeanette owned and operated E&E
Door & Window, Inc. for 18 years. Their children, Lance Ertz and
Mandy Kaspar, were also involved in the yearly growth and success
of the business.
He truly loved his work in the garage door and window business
and made many lifelong friends along the way. Those friends have
called him a garage door “genius” since he could solve any garage
door problem he encountered. His homespun mechanical prowess
extended to nearly every activity to which he applied his hands
and mind. The motto of his second garage door business was “the
problem solvers.”
Among his many mechanical innovations at home was the one of
which he was most proud. The “Melevator” was a lift mechanism
for moving loads into the very high access of his garage storage. He
built it to operate with a garage door opener motor.
Mel loved his family, walking long distances (seven miles a day
just because he could), and his church. He enjoyed taking his classic
cars to shows all over Colorado and Las Vegas, with Jeanette and
Lance. He won many awards for his cars, especially his purple and
silver 1950 Chevy.
He is survived by his loving wife, Jeanette; son, Lance Ertz of
Grand Junction; daughter, Mandy Kaspar (Jason) of La Grange,
Texas, and two brothers. He was preceded in death by his mother
and father; two sisters, and one brother.
The family wishes to express their appreciation to the kind
and caring staff at Paonia Care Center and Hope West, in Delta
Colorado, for the loving care they provided Mel.
Funeral services will be held at Messiah Lutheran Church,
Grand Junction, Colorado, at 2:00 p.m., January 19, 2021. A private
graveside service, wit
