Melanie Luu

Melanie Sue Luu was born December 19, 1964, to Charles and Dorothy Ollendieck in Cresco, Iowa. She graduated high school, spent a summer in France and then attended Central College in Pella, Iowa, where she spent a year studying aboard in Spain. She graduated with a BA in Spanish and a minor in Linguistics. After graduation, she joined the Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program and taught English in Iwata, Japan for two wonderful years. She fell in love with the Japanese culture and its language so she continued her education at the University of Iowa working on her Master’s degree in Japanese and pedagogy along with a teaching degree. She spent a summer training in an accelerated Japanese language program from Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. Then she lived in Japan and studied at the University of Tokyo.

She met the love of her life while living in International housing in college. They waited till they finished their degrees and for Melanie to return home from living abroad before they married. It was also around this time, that both Melanie and Binh came to faith in the risen Savior. Once married, they worked and brought two beautiful talented daughters, Sophia and Isabella into this world. Life was never the same since the girls arrived on the scene. They raised their children in the church.

Melanie had a gift for teaching and enjoyed instruction in foreign language. She valued cooking, gardening, traveling, Bible study, her cats, and most of all spending time with her family and friends. They would often eat breakfast and dinner daily together. She devoted her life to her children. In return, Sophia and Isabella are a reflection of their parents love and dedication to the Lord.

She is survived by her husband Binh, daughters Sophia and Isabella along with parents, Charles and Dorothy Ollendieck, her brother Michael, his wife Natasha, their two children Andrei and Brittany and her favorite sister Melissa along with her two cats Mona and Tulip.
She was greatly loved and will be dearly missed. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that money be sent to the Humboldt High School Band and Art Department.