Melvin Wieben

Melvin L. Wieben, 77, who loved natural spaces and spent many days fostering and photographing them, died on December 20, 2025 at Green Hills Retirement Community in Ames, Iowa from metastatic colon cancer. Arrangements are by Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care in Ames. A memorial service will be held at a later date with burial at Reinbeck Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the Nebraska chapter of the Nature Conservancy. Melvin Leslie Wieben was born on March 21, 1948 in Cedar Falls, the oldest of three children of Lester and Anna (Miller) Wieben. Besides farming the family's 120 acres, his father repaired farm machinery. After graduating from Reinbeck High School in 1966, Melvin entered Iowa State University where he received a bachelor's degree in entomology. He began work in North Carolina for ICI. Later, work took him to Illinois and then to Lincoln, Nebraska where he remained after retiring. Born and raised in Iowa, where his father farmed near Reinbeck, Melvin studied entomology and worked his entire career improving pesticides for food crops. Although Melvin worked in a technical field, his real love was being outdoors. His travels were centered ar...[more]

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d visiting natural spaces all across the country, where he studied and photographed many insects and native plant species. He particularly loved prairie habitats, and supported many through volunteering and philanthropy. He could often be found in some remote prairie chopping brush and removing non-native species, sometimes camping from his car when there was no motel nearby. Melvin was the family genealogist, researching family heritage extending back to Denmark and Germany. He amassed a large collection of photographs and documents showing the lives of family members who immigrated to the U.S. and settled in Iowa. A long-time fan of Iowa State sports, particularly women's basketball and volleyball, Melvin often traveled to Ames for sporting events and could be found in the stands cheering the teams. Melvin did not marry or have children. He is survived by his sister, Nancy Wieben of Rochester, Minnesota. His parents and sister Susan Wieben preceded him in death.