She was born to Orvan and Edith (Johnson) Foust on May 20, 1948 in Independence, Iowa. Melody grew up in California and Oklahoma. She played basketball throughout her school years, graduating from Gans High School in 1966.
With her prized 1968 Pontiac GTO, Melody moved to Fort Smith and attended nursing school at Westark Community College. She worked at Dixie Cup, where she met her future husband, Billy Ray (1928-1996). They married in November of 1974 and bought a small house on Johnson Street, where they raised their family: Charlotte Amber, Darrell Wayne (1976-1995), Cullen Brett (m. Balbina Estrada González) and Whitney Elyse (m. Tim Gaskell). Melody was a loving mother and gave all of her children the support and encouragement to try different things and find what suited them. She never missed ball games or concerts and was their biggest cheerleader.
Melody loved turtles, her children and grandchildren Gabriel Scott, Renata Zul, Balbina Zul and Isabella Scott. Although she didn’t get to spend much time with them, she adored her great-grandchildren, María Andrea, Jesús Alejandro, Máximo Andrés, and Emilio Alexander Valdez. She loved all the animals she rescued over the years and leaves behind sweet Coco.
She was preceded in death by her sister Deanna Lynn (1950-1950). She is survived by her sisters Enzel Barnes of Gans, Holly Lee of Muldrow, and brother Terry Foust of Roland.
