Melvin Wayne Eaton

Melvin Wayne Eaton, age 72, of Lead, South Dakota, died on Thursday, March 12, 2026, at the Denver Hospice Center in Denver, Colorado, after a courageous battle with cancer.

Born on May 4, 1953, in Red Elm, South Dakota, Melvin was the son of Wesley and Barbara (Pesicka) Eaton. The middle child of seven, he grew up on the family ranch near Red Elm, attended a country school there, and graduated from Faith High School. A gifted athlete, he was a five-sport letterman and won the SDHSRA All Around Cowboy title in 1971. He went on to rodeo successfully, claiming the SDRA Bull Riding Championship in 1972, 1974, and 1976, and the NRCS Champion Bull Rider title in 1974. In 1975, he earned a B.S. in Industrial Arts from Black Hills State University.

Melvin married Cathy Birkeland in 1974, and together they had three children: Marty, Jaime, and Wayne. In 1975 he began his long career as a contractor while also ranching and developing land. The family moved to Belle Fourche in 1978, where Melvin built many homes in the area. He took special pride in constructing energy-efficient houses and instilled in his children the values of hard work and integrity. He and Cathy later divorced.

On December 20, 2014, Melvin married Denise Laforce in Lead, South Dakota. They shared nearly twelve years of marriage, traveling together for Denise’s medical career to Alaska, Washington, Kansas, New Mexico, and Arizona, while always returning to their home in Lead—the last house Melvin built. The couple enjoyed traveling and dancing, with Melvin always seeking opportunities to take Denise swing dancing or country two-stepping.

Melvin is survived by his wife Denise Laforce and her family: daughter Marsha, granddaughter Mia, and great-grandsons Eli and Fin; his children Marty (Kurt) Leibel, Jaime (Jason) Fearing, and Wayne (Tessa) Eaton; grandchildren Karsten, Kameron, Kipton Leibel, Taylor and Layne Fearing, Ryan (Alex), Halle, and Taiten Eaton; great-grandson Ryder Eaton; siblings Judy (Dave) Gano, Jim (Candy) Eaton, and Wendy Blunt; sisters-in-law Laurie Eaton, Sharon Eaton, and Cindy Eaton; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Merton, Kenny, and Levi, nephew Richard Eaton, and niece Tanya Gano.