Melvin K. Etter

1931 - 2016

December 11, 1931 - April 21, 2016 Melvin Etter (Billy Bob) of Spokane, Wa. left us to join his wife Mary Etter (Molly Bob) on Thursday April 21, 2016 at the age of 84. Mel was born to parents Carl and Thelda Etter on December 11, 1931 in Phoenix, Az. He grew up as an only child. In 1950, he joined the Navy and spent two years serving our country while earning the Korean War service medal and United Nations service medal with an honorable discharge in 1952. In 1953 he married Miladeen Maxwell and went on to have three daughters: Sherri, Rene and Melanie. In 1961 Mel remarried Mary Scherrer and they had one daughter: Brandi. Mel was part of the produce industry from the time he was 16 until closing Billy Bob's Produce in 2006. He worked in Arizona for local grocery stores in the Phoenix area then had a few years working for the Arizona road department. In 1962 he moved to California for a job with Alpha Beta where he worked until the early 1980's when he moved to Spokane. While in Spokane he worked at URM, Super 1 Foods and then opened Billy Bob's Produce with Mary and they ran that business in several venues around Spokane for over 10 years until Mary passed away in 2007. Mel is survived by his daughters: Sherri Bachetti, Rene Williams, Melanie Neely and Brandi Gore; his grandchildren: Andy Bachetti, Greg Bachetti, Jeff Watson, Mindi Kushi, Shane Watson, Alyssa Neely, Trevor Neely and Jayson Gore; and also his great grandchildren Blake, Delaina, Karley, Riley and Emilee with one more to arrive in July that he has already met on the other side. Mel is also survived by his son Steve Garner of San Antonio, Texas. There will be no services at Mel's request. He is to be cremated then mixed with Mary's ashes and scattered in Page, Arizona. The family is grateful for the condolences but respectfully declines flowers and donations.