Melanie Macomb Wangsness, age 55 of rural Miller, passed away at home on her beloved farm under hospice care, Monday, October 31, 2022, with her family and close friends by her side, after a year-long battle with bladder cancer.

Her memorial service was held at 1:00 PM, Friday, November 4th at the First Presbyterian Church, Miller.  Her service was live-streamed. 

 View Melanie's Memorial Folder 

A Celebration of Melanie's Life and burial will take place at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to  St. Jude Children's Research Hospital  .

Melanie Jane Macomb was born September 29, 1967, to Richard A. Macomb, III and Ruth Beatrice Reynolds Macomb in Ashland, Kentucky. She grew up in Bellefonte, near Ashland, KY. Melanie loved visiting the farm where Ruth grew up in Woodforth County, KY. Melanie always kept the conversation going with her cousins and developed a love for life on the farm. While in high school, she worked at the local hospital. Melanie was an outstanding student and was chosen by her teachers to place a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. In 1985, Melanie graduated from Russell High School.

Melanie then continued her education at Eastern Kentucky University, where she graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Registered Health Information Administration. Melanie was also a member of the Delta Zeta sorority. She continued her work in the medical field as the director of medical records, at the Veteran's Administration, and University of Kentucky Hospital in Lexington, KY.

Labor Day weekend of 1999, Melanie had helped a friend move to Highmore, South Dakota. This is where she met James Darrell "JD" Wangsness. After that weekend, Melanie returned to her life in Kentucky. On Halloween 1999, JD called Melanie, at the behest of a mutual friend, Michael John Carol, and their long-distance relationship began and continued for the next three years of courtship, a lot of long-distance calls, and many trips between Kentucky and South Dakota.

On November 22, 2002, Melanie married JD at the Nicholasville Presbyterian Church, Nicholasville, Kentucky. Since Melanie was a very private and independent woman, she was hesitant about moving to South Dakota with her new husband. Melanie thought she might "get tired of him being around", JD assured her that he worked a lot of hours and that wouldn't be a problem. For the next six months Melanie stayed in Kentucky to finish her job and sell her house. She joined JD at his rural Miller home in May of 2003. Although life on the South Dakota prairie took a year to adjust to, Melanie would later claim she loved her new life in South Dakota and that Kentucky was a good place to visit family and friends, but South Dakota was Home. She learned of JD's work and outside interests and was very supportive of her husband's work and new endeavors.

Melanie would return to Kentucky many times to visit her aging parents, sometimes being gone for months at a time as she was her parents' caretaker for their final days on earth.

While in South Dakota, Melanie worked as a medical coder for Datatrak and finished her coding career with UASI.

Melanie's new position as Mother began on September 8, 2007, with the birth of their son, James Bennett Wangsness. Melanie and Ben were often inseparable. When Melanie would be taking care of her parents in Kentucky, Ben was there assisting with his grandparents. Melanie and Ben enjoyed their long chats together and were best friends. She was a hero to kill spiders and bake his favorite butterscotch pies. Melanie gave all bits of energy to being an amazing mom. She was loving and supportive through the end.

Once Ben started school, Melanie had some free time on her hands, to turn to her other many hidden talents. Some of these included baking, beautifully packaging processing raw honey, and putting together beautiful home décor. She would often say "I think I missed my calling as a baker". Melanie enjoyed sharing her cakes, pies, truffles and other baked items through her business named Mel's Upper Crust and Confections. Melanie was a perfectionist with her baking craft. Often JD, Ben and close friends were food tasters and she would toss out any creation that she felt were less than perfect. Melanie partnered with family friends and apiarists, Randall and Terry Ezell of Oklahoma, who would keep their bee hives on the Wangsness' land during the spring and summer months. Melanie created "605 Hives" making several kinds of delicious honey-based products. Melanie had a special knack for putting together beautiful home décor, she valued decorating with cherished family antiques and collectibles that had been passed down to her.  Melanie loved her animals including her chickens, kitties Milo and Caroline, and her dogs 'the boys' George and Otis. She enjoyed taking walks with her dogs and snuggling with them and her kitties, and making sure her chickens were cared for and chores were done. Through all of this Mel was ever so humble and never lost that beautiful, unique Kentucky girl accent and charm. Melanie was a private person and let a few special ladies in to share her life. Her friends will remember her as a sister who they could call and tell anything. They never doubted their friendship. Melanie was an amazing friend, she listened and gave wise advice.  "Family and Peace Above All Else."

Melanie was preceded in death by her parents and her in-laws, Carol and Darrell Wangsness.

Grateful for having shared in her life are her husband of 20 years, JD of rural Miller; their son Ben, of rural Miller; one brother, Richard "Rusty" Macomb, IV; two sisters-in-law, Melissa Wangsness of Billings, MT and Angie Wangsness of Woonsocket, SD; and many nieces and nephews. She will be dearly missed by her close friends.

 View Melanie's Floral Arrangements