Mel Cohen, age 73, of Isanti passed away November 23, 2008 at GracePointe Crossing East. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, November 29th at Strike Funeral Home – Isanti Chapel. A visitation will be held from 4:00 – 8:00 P.M. on Friday, November 28th and also 1 hour prior to the service Saturday. Interment will be in Morningside Memorial Gardens in Coon Rapids.
Mel Cohen was born November 8, 1935 in Minneapolis to Leon and Freda Cohen. He was raised in Northeast Minneapolis and Farm Island. He attended Columbia Heights High School. Mel married FlorenceLeach on October 21, 1967 in Watertown, South Dakota. They made their home in Minneapolis, later moving to Blaine and then in 1985 they moved to Isanti. He owned his own Rubbish Business. Mel was a member of the Eagles Club. His hobbies and interests included fishing, bowling, working on cars and horses. He enjoyed building bikes for the kids in the neighborhood, playing pool and cards with family and the kids friends. He also enjoyed the outdoors and mowing the lawn on his riding mower.
Besides his parents he was preceded in death by his sister, Helen Erickson; brother, Walter Tom Cohen; mother and father-in-law, Pete and Carol Schommer; and great-granddaughter, Jordan Gonsioriski. He is survived by his wife, Florence of Isanti; seven children, Paul (Lana) Cohen of South Dakota, Jeff (Donna) Leach of Isanti, Sharon (Jim) Voigt of Isanti, Mark (Bev) Leach, Sr. of Duluth, Vicki Thompson of Blaine, Nancy Nelson of Isanti, Sandi (Reggie) McAllister of Elk River; by 22 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; and by many other relatives and friends.