ERNEST HULEN MELTON

ERNEST HULEN MELTON Ernest Hulen Melton of Sherman, Texas died on October 21, 2025. He was born August 27, 1931, on Fish Creek in Gainesville, Texas in his parents home. His parents were the late Benjamin Franklin Melton and Willie Vera Loving Melton. Ernest's father cut and removed trees to build a home in Dog Holler, a portion of Fish Creek. At that location Ernest attended the two-room Loving School which was built on land donated by his maternal grandfather until the age of ten. In 1941 the Army Corps of Engineers took over all the land area of Fish Creek to build Camp Howze, an army training camp for World War II draftees. The family relocated to Sherman, Texas where Ernest attended Jefferson Elementary School and graduated from Sherman High School in 1952. Ernest graduated from East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas in 1972. He married Helen Penny on April 26, 1958, and they were married for 67 years. Ernest was a veteran who served in the U.S. Army from 1953 until 1955 in the Korean conflict. He retired from IBM in 1991 after 31 years of service. He received the IBM Outstanding Contribution Award in 1968. Ernest volunteered for the Choctaw Watershed Improvement District, 4-H Adult Leaders, Meals-On-Wheels, and the Chisholm Trail RC&D Council. He was a 50-year Master Mason Travis No. 117, a 32nd Degree Mason, Hella Shriner and a member of the Dallas Scottish Rite. He received the Take Pride in America Award for Grayson County presented in 1992 by the Upper Elm-Red Soil and Water Conservation District. Ernest especially enjoyed holidays and family birthday celebrations with his family. He was a proud Papaw watching the grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow. He was a dedicated family man, cattle rancher and a member of First Baptist Church in Sherman. Ernest is survived by his wife, Helen, of 67 years, three boys and their spouses: Steve and Latressa Melton, Bruce and Sharon Melton, and Colin Melton, three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. He is also survived by a brother, Billy Joe Melton, and sisters Barbara March and Frankie Sprowl as well as numerous nephews and nieces. Pallbearers will be Scott Conrad, Russell Maine, Rusty Melton, Taylor Melton, Jake Richardson, and Daniel Worrell. Visitation will be on October 23, 2025, from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m.at Waldo Funeral Home. The funeral will start at 2 p.m. following visitation. Burial will follow at Cedarlawn. Many thanks to Beacon Hill Center and Home Hospice of Grayson County. We are grateful to the team of nurses and staff. Donations can be made to your favorite charity.