Melva Elizabeth Asp

Melva Elizabeth Asp passed away unexpectedly on June 5th 2012. Mel was born in Brown Springs Ar. on June 17th 1933 to Owen Willmon and Esterlea ( Webb) Willmon. She was preceded in death by both parents as well as her infant brother Joel Robert Willmon. She leaves behind to mourn her passing her sister Margaret Brain (Alvin) , brother Kenneth Willmon (Adele), daughter Tammi Barandun (John), son Dale Asp (Porfiria), grandson Michael Brown, granddaughters, Andrea Vogeli ( Jason), Alexzandra Asp, Stephanie Asp and great grandson Aiden Vogeli (the apple of her eye), nephews Alan Shackle, David Shackle, Lori Cantu (Mark), Brian Willmon (Wendy), great niece Megan, Madison and great nephew August, as well as numerous cousins and friends.

Mel was born in Brown Springs AR where she spent the first15 years of her life playing and being a tomboy with her many cousins and friends. She moved with her family to Toppennish WA in 1948. She moved from Toppennish to live and work in Hayward CA where she met and married Bill Asp on May 1st 1957. They were married for 28years before they divorced and had a son Dale and daughter Tammi together. Although they were divorced, she remained good friends with him and his wife, Lynne. While Mel never remarried, she spent the rest on her life pursuing her hobbies and passions. She was an accomplished painter, jewelry maker, traveler and Mother! She dearly loved her family and took great joy in being around them as much as she could. Mel was able to accomplish quite a lot in her later years. She owned a home in N. Cal. and a vacation home in Mesa AZ where she loved to spend the winter months enjoying the company of her brother Ken and his wife Adele as well as numerous friends she had met through her many years of wintering there. She truly loved the ocean and loved to travel to Hawaii and Mexico to lounge on the beach while being restored by the fresh ocean air. She was able to travel to Hawaii numerous times, most often with friends and family staying in Ken and Adele’s condo in Maui. She spent several vacations in Mexico with her son Dale, daughter-in-law Porfiria (P.D.) and granddaughters Alex and Stephanie. Those trips to the tropics were some of her most treasured memories. Just last month she was extremely proud to sit in the audience watching her granddaughter Alexzandra, graduate from Chico State University.

While Mel had numerous health issues she always forged ahead. She was the life of the party and loved every party she ever went to. She never met a stranger and in fact a lot of the people she casually met became close friends for the rest of her life. The family owes a great debt of gratitude to Ken and Adele Willmon. Without their help, especially Adele’s, she would have been unable to spend as many years as she did spending her winters in Mesa. They truly went above and beyond in their care of her. For the last several years she was greatly assisted by her daughter-in-law P.D. who she relied upon for a great many things as well as her granddaughter Andrea. They were truly a blessing to her.

Mel believed in God and tried to live her life by the tenants of the Bible. She was weary from her health problems and was ready to accept Gods hand when he came for her. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her. We love you Mom, rest in peace. We will see you again…Mel’s ashes will be interned with her baby brother Joel at the family cemetery in Brown Springs AR.

There will be a memorial service for her on Saturday June 16th at 10:00 a.m. at the Mount Vernon Memorial Park & Mortuary Chapel. Mount Vernon Mortuary is located at 8201 Greenback Lane, Fair Oaks Ca.