Merle Alice Melton

Merle Alice Melton, her full name was actually Merle Alice Agnes Yvonne Virginia Melton nee Wilson, was born on September 25th 1939, in Belize City, which was then the capital of the British possession in Central America known as British Honduras. It would gain independence after World War II, changing its name to Belize, and moving the capital to a city built for the purpose called Belmopan. Merle never supported the move to independence and did not like calling the country, "Belize," saying, "I was a British Citizen and proud of it. They made a mistake."
Merle was the youngest of the six surviving children of Hannibal Medcalf Wilson (formerly Hannibal Loreano, who was adopted into the Wilson family) and Kathleen Almira Vernon. Hannibal, who was known as "Pops" to his family and friends, worked on St. George's Quay, then in the Panama Canal District for the U.S. Government, then getting work through that connection in New Orleans. From there he moved the family to the United States, taking them to California, moving into the house near the corner of Los Robles Avenue and Washington Boulevard where she would spend most of the start of her life in America. Growing up there starting at 7 years old, and eventually graduating from John Muir High School and getting a job at Nash's Department Store in Pasadena.
Another life changing event took place in Pasadena, in a small apartment at the corner of Del Mar Boulevard and Marengo Avenue, where she was invited to a party by a friend of hers, the girlfriend of the man that lived, there. At that party she met a young man from Arkansas, recently discharged from the marines who apparently took a liking to her. Merle's impression of him, as related in her version of the meeting later in life, was not very positive. He came with a woman he was dating, "old enough to be his mother," thought very highly of himself, and looked like someone that, "liked to play around." When asked why she started dating this man after such a negative first impression, Merle's reply, with something of a sly smile on her face, was, "Well I had my reasons."
Three weeks after that meeting, Gerald Kenneth Melton, known as "Ken," proposed to Merle, to which she replied he had to ask for her hand in marriage from her father. Ken did visit her father to do so (which was a whole different story), and they ended up getting married on June 11th 1960, moving into her parents' house, living with them for the first year of their marriage, during which time their first child was born.
From there, the family moved to nearby Covina, then to Diamond Bar, and finally to Ontario. The family grew, adding another son, then two daughters. During these years Merle was primarily a housewife, taking care of the home and the family's finances. She did spend time at other activities, such as becoming the Den Mother for her sons' Cub Scout den, and hosting Tupperware parties. Later, she returned to school and became a Certified Nurses' Assistant, and did that work for the rest of the family's time in California, working in facilities like Hillhaven Convalescent Hospital. She was proud of her job, gaining the respect and admiration of the patients she cared for and her colleagues.
Around 1984, the family moved first to North Carolina, where Ken joined his brother, Jerry, at the paper tube manufacturing company his brother started called Caroline Paper Tube, known as CPT, then to Arkansas, where Ken opened the newest plant for CPT in Fort Smith. Merle tried to continue her nursing career, but because Nurses' Assistants did not need to be certified in Arkansas, greatly lowering the rates they were paid and their regard, she ended her career in that field and ended up working with Ken at the CPT factory in Fort Smith, running the office and handling the company billing. She continued in that capacity until both retired after the plant was sold.
The couple stayed in the Fort Smith area after retirement, living in Barling, where they purchased a home when the moved into the area. They were very active with the local bowling leagues, even traveling together around the country to participate in bowling tournaments in places like San Diego, California, San Antonio, Texas, and Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada. Physical injuries eventually forced Merle to stop actively bowling, but she continued to go with Ken to tournaments and league competitions, staying in touch with the friends they had made during their participation in bowling events. She also cared for the growing number of grandchildren she had, when they came to visit, and those that would stay with them during certain times of their life. Merle was well regarded as a cook, particularly for her enchiladas, which were praised when she made them for bowling league pot lucks, and her tamales, which were so desired during Christmas that she often received calls and messages from members of the family asking her to send them some when she made them.
In December, 2023, after her husband Ken passed away, Merle moved back to North Carolina to live with her only granddaughter, Melissa. With the loss of her husband of almost 64 years this feisty, "salty" lady became subdued, expressing her loneliness without him. "It is so weird to think he's not in the next room," she said during a phone conversation. "I can't believe he's not here. I miss him so much."
On April 28th, 2024, due to complications due to system health problems, Merle passed away. Her last words to her eldest son, when he Face Timed her via the ICU doctor's phone, were, "Don't worry about me. Just have fun," followed by, "I love you, too, babe. Love you, both," referring to her son and one of the grandsons traveling with him. She then turned her head and fell asleep. She would pass away a few hours later.
Merle was preceded from this world by her parents, Hannibal and Kathleen, her brothers and sisters, Hannibal "Junior" Wilson, Jr., Ray Wilson, Al Wilson, Arlene Gable nee Wilson, and Lois Ynfante nee Wilson, and her daughter, Virginia Hatten nee Campbell nee Melton. She is survived by her children, sons Erick Ray Melton and Phillip David Melton, and her daughter Kathleen Coty nee Folsom nee Melton, her grandchildren, Melissa Campbell, Christopher Campbell, Steven Melton, Kenneth Folsom, Christian Folsom, Aaron Coty and Heather Coty, and two great grandchildren, Lizbeth Campbell and Lucian Parker.
A graveside service for Merle will be held at 1:00 pm Thursday, May 9, 2024 at U.S. National Cemetery in Fort Smith. The family will receive friends and other family from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at Lewis Funeral Chapel 4817 Kelley Hwy in Fort Smith.