Ina Charlene Meeks Close

She was a pillar of our family. She had style, class and a little sass. She had a heart of gold and loved deeply. She was gentle yet mighty.

Ina Charlene was born and raised in Salinas, California and moved to Coarsegold, California in 2005.

In her later years she was tired, and needed rest, but most of her life she never had idle hands. She Married Ernest Longley in 1962. She became a mom at 16, had both of her children by 19, a grandma by 32! She changed many diapers, wiped many noses, cooked many delicious meals, kept a clean and tidy home, opened her home to many, shared the word of God and had a heart of forgiveness.

She had two children: Jill and Mark. Five grandchildren: Mick, Shalene, Chris, Diahna, and Joshua.

Step grandchildren include: Matthew, Vogue, Joshua, Jeremy, Missy, April, Sammy, and Kanisha. Great grandchildren include: Jesse, Sage, Liam, Kailey, Serenity, and Zander.

Step great grandchildren are too many to list, but the count is up to 17.

She had many nephews and only 3 nieces and many great and great great-nephews and nieces.

She is survived by her brother Steve Meeks (Debbie).

She was first married to Ernie, he passed in ’98 and she remarried in 2000 to Kenny Close who passed in 2024.

Alongside her first husband, Ernie, she went to seminary school in Texas and they became pastors of a church together.

She worked for her brother, Bob Meeks, at Meeks Pest Control, and in the ‘90’s, she worked for a produce company in Salinas until she sustained a work injury that put her out of work for the rest of her life.

Rest in peace in the glory of the Lord!