Rev. M. Melvin Hough

A farm boy who answered the call to Christian ministry, the Rev. M. Melvin Hough, 90, died Friday, May 8, 2020, at Homestead Village in Lancaster, PA. Mel was the husband of the late Marian Patton Hough, who died April 9, 2020, and with whom he would have celebrated 64 years of marriage on June 2. Heartbroken by their deaths four weeks and one day apart, the Hough family finds comfort in knowing that Mel and Marian, finally free of the illnesses that ravaged their bodies and tested their spirits, are once again whole and reunited. Born in Flora, Illinois, on May 1, 1930, Mel was a son of Maurice and Maude Rule Hough. He was reared along the dirt roads and cornfields that crisscrossed the rural Midwest. His was a life of farm chores and a horse named Blue. He trapped rabbits -- occasionally a fox and unfortunately a skunk -- only to set them free. As a boy, he jumped over a creek called Hog Run on his long walk to the Paine one-room schoolhouse that would encourage a lifelong love of reading, and dare him to think about a world beyond nearby Noble High School. It was a childhood lacking in technicolor, he said. Mel entered Eastern Illinois University in Charleston eyeing a future in journalism. He graduated committed to his faith, heading for United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, where he earned a Master of Divinity degree. During this time, he met Marian, a Lancaster native who signed on for a life of shared pastoral ministry. He served Sumner-Bethlehem Congregational Christian Churches; Shabbona United Church of Christ; and the First Congregational Churches of Sterling and Prophetstown, all in Illinois. He held leadership posts in the Illinois Conference of the UCC and was a delegate to the denomination’s national General Synod. From 1966 to 1969, Mel was associate pastor at Covenant United Methodist Church in Lancaster; he studied at Lancaster Theological Seminary. Prior to retirement, he was administrator of Good Shepherd Manor in Barrington, Illinois. Mel was a relevant preacher with a dramatic sermon delivery. He was a champion for social justice. His church, his home and his heart were open to the homeless, the lonely and the outcasts. As a counselor, he was always on call. His adventurous side led youth groups to the Boundary Waters of Minnesota and to the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. He preferred a sweatshirt and jeans to a suit and clerical collar. He savored Marian’s apple pie, served warm with a slice of cheddar cheese. He helped her to can the red beets and tomatoes from vegetable gardens he meticulously tended. Mel was a talented woodcarver and an enthusiastic bird watcher/feeder. In later years he gave up pipe smoking and perfectionism in the hope of a healthier life. He taught his children to embrace American history and respect nature. Together they did both, from the mountains of Yosemite to the plains of Nebraska to the beaches of Maine. His kids will remember his high expectations, his moral character, and his Sunday morning cinnamon rolls. His greatest achievement, he always said through tears, was his family. Mel is survived by three children: Barbara, wife of Dr. Gerald G. Huesken, Lancaster; D. Mark, husband of Sheila (Anderson), Lititz; and Beth, wife of Leopold Gorecki, Yardley; six grandchildren, Audrey Bonchack (Matthew); Jonathan Palomarez (Elizabeth); Amy Stoltzfus (Robert); Rachel and Aaron Gorecki; and Faith Roda; and five great-grandchildren, Natalie, Alice and Lucas Bonchack, and Caleb and Riley Palomarez. He is also survived by brothers-in-law Jay, husband of the late Phyllis Patton, New Holland, and James, husband of Jean Patton, Lancaster. A niece and nephews also survive. He was preceded in death by brothers Bernard and Leonard Hough and sister Lois Schweizer. Mel’s appreciation for the residents, staff and caregivers at Homestead Village was effusive. He would be delighted to know that gifts in his memory can be made to the Homestead Endowment Fund at Homestead Village, 1800 Village Circle, Lancaster, PA 17603. Following health guidelines, Mel’s memorial service will be held at a later date. Private interment will be in Paradise Mennonite Cemetery.