Melba Ranks

Melba (Hardin) Ranks, age 80, died Wednesday, March 12th at home after a very short illness. She was born on December 25,1944 in Tulare, California to Lonnie and Beulah (Bridges) Hardin. Her father worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, so she spent the next 17 years of her life on five different Indian reservations in Arizona, Mississippi, and New Mexico. Her first home was on the Supai reservation at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
Melba graduated from Casa Grande High School in 1962 and attended Arizona State University. The summer before college, she met the love of her life, Rolland (Bud) Ranks, while visiting her brother in San Diego. They secretly eloped in April of 1963 and spent fifty-eight loving years together before Bud's passing in 2022. Bud was in the Navy and they moved many times over the next 17 years to various assignments on Midway Island, California, and Oklahoma.
Melba worked for the U.S. Marshal's Service as an Administrative Assistant from 1981 until her retirement in 2000. Following her retirement, she and Bud traveled to Europe and also to various states with their RV, often wintering in Arizona. Melba was an avid reader and enjoyed genealogy, knitting, and spending time with her family. She was a member of Crossroads Mustang Church, and active in Sunday School, Women's Bible Study and Wednesday night ministry.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Bud, son James Todd Ranks, brother Edward Hardin, brothers-in-law Jack Sample, and Tom Rieck, sisters-in-law Mary Ranks, and Virginia Hardin, and nephew Tim Sample. Surviving is her daughter, April Percifield, her daughter-in-law, Marsha Ranks, grandchildren Austin (Emily) Murawsky, Matthew (Abigail) Ranks, and great-grandchildren Magnolia Ranks and Miles Murawsky. She is also survived by two nieces, Cara Haley and Lynn (Kirk) Volk; two nephews, Scott (Suzanne) Hardin and Eric Hardin; Bud's nieces and nephews, Debbie Gill, Larry (Marie) Sample, Becky (Gordan) Green, Brian (Nancy) Ranks, and Gary Ranks; sister-in-law Carol Rieck and brother-in-law Don (Helen) Ranks.
Melba will be interred at Ft. Sill National Cemetery, along with her husband.
She wished any memorial gifts be made to your favorite charity.