Lou Ann Mackey Melton's Obituary
Lou Ann Mackey Melton passed away on Monday, May 20, at 92 years old. Family and friends are invited to celebrate her life on Saturday, June 1. Mrs. Melton’s burial will be at 10:00 AM at Alpine Cemetery on Sam Page Road in Longview. At 11:00 AM we will have a Service of Celebration of Life at Alpine Presbyterian Church, Hiett Lane at Tryon Road. Following the service, visitation with the family will be held in Henderson Hall at the church. Services are under the direction of Rader Funeral Home of Longview.
Lou Ann Mackey was born in Judson, Texas, on August 22, 1926, to Lester Losson and Winnie Woodall Mackey. She attended Judson Grove School, Kilgore College, and North Texas State Teachers College in Denton. During her time at Kilgore College, Mrs. Melton was a Rangerette. She taught elementary school in Marshall prior to her marriage to Grady Melton Jr. of Collin County, Texas, on December 25, 1948. She continued her teaching career at Trinity Day School in Longview and spent the majority of her years teaching at Mozelle Johnston Elementary School in Longview.
As a lifelong member of Alpine Presbyterian Church, Mrs. Melton carried on a family tradition begun by her ancestors who founded Alpine. She was very proud that her granddaughters were the sixth generation of her family raised at Alpine Presbyterian. She was a great supporter of Camp Gilmont, a Presbyterian camp in Gilmer. The camp was founded when she was a teenager, and she served as one of its first camp counselors. Mrs. Melton was a member of the Aaron Burleson Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution and of Delta Kappa Gamma, a teachers’ sorority. In her later years she was a part of the Longview Gregg County Retired Teachers Organization and Bible Study Fellowship. The Upshur-Gregg Soil and Water Conservation District honored her with the Homemaker Award in 2011.
Mrs. Melton loved antiques and made numerous antiquing excursions with her friends. She was an excellent cook and enjoyed baking pies and cakes to accompany delicious meals she prepared.
Preceded in death by husband Grady Melton Jr. in 2003, Mrs. Melton also lost her only child, son Michael Mackey “Mickey” Melton, in 2010. Her parents and three siblings, William Lester Mackey, Woodie Mackey Lucy, and Lynelle Mackey Meyer also preceded her in death.
Mrs. Melton is survived by three granddaughters and their families, Ann Crews Melton and husband Ryan Warner of Bismarck, North Dakota; Emily Mackey Melton Harris and husband Jess Lane Harris of Frisco, Texas; and Elizabeth Michael Melton of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She is also survived by four great-granddaughters Laney Elizabeth Harris, Lily Catherine Harris, Rilke Elise Warner, and Michael Magdalene Warner. Other survivors include many nieces and nephews and daughter-in-law Rebecca Jenkins Melton of Longview.
The family expresses deep appreciation for the caregivers who helped Mrs. Melton for many years. Special thanks to Lillie Dixon, Maria and Sam Sartin, Cindy Spicer, Barbara Rogers, and Sylvia Aguaristi for the help and dedication to Mrs. Melton in serving as her companions in recent years. The family is grateful for outstanding care given by the nurses and staff at Arabella Memory Care during the last few months.
Memorial donations may be made to Camp Gilmont, 6075 State Highway 155 N, Gilmer, TX 75644; to Alpine Presbyterian Church, 135 Hiett Lane, Longview, TX 75605; or to the Longview ISD Foundation, P. O. Box 2807, Longview, TX 75606.
A memorial guestbook may be signed online at www.raderfh.com.
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