Melba Effie Linkletter

ATHENS - Melba E. Linkletter, 87, of Athens, passed away April 27, 2014, with her family by her side. Born in Brighton Plantation on Dec. 7, 1926, she was the ninth of 15 children born to Charles A. and Christie A. (Corson) Keaten.

Melba was educated in Brighton schools.She and her sister, Marion, worked together to help put her sister, Madaline, through high school. She married Gordon E. Linkletter on Oct. 5, 1946, in Athens. They were married for 65 years before Gordon's passing in 2012. She started her career stripping bark off trees with her brothers and then worked at the spinning mill in Skowhegan. Melba and Gordon spent many years farming and working in the woods together. They started Linkletter and Sons in the early '60s. She spent many years building the business, retiring in 1990. After retirement, Melba and Gordon started wintering in Florida, spending 20 years there.

She loved spending time with her family, playing slots, jet skiing, water skiing and riding roller coasters, and was a great cook who made dozens of doughnuts for family and wood crews over the years. She enjoyed going to all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren's sporting events and birthday parties. She was a member of the Golden Girls, Eastern Star-Keystone Chapter, the Athens Grange, and a past member of the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary in Athens.

Melba was predeceased by an infant son, Robert Linkletter; three grandchildren, Audra, Ryan and Heath Linkletter; a daughter-in-law, Sandra Linkletter; and 13 siblings, Walter, Wallace, Paul, Merrill, Stanley, Marion, Malcolm, Wilder, Madaline, Lloyd, Beth, Philip and Gloria.

She is survived by three sons, Richard Linkletter and his wife, Nora, of Athens, Bruce Linkletter and his wife, Sandy, of Athens, and Robert Linkletter and his wife, Debra, of Athens; one sister, Betty Whiting, of Athens; four sisters-in-law, Frances Keaten, of Skowhegan, Evelyn Keaten, of Norway, Phyllis Goss, of Glenburn, and Lois Hartford, of Sun City, Fla.; a brother-in-law, Stanton Forbus, of Anson; nine grandchildren, Scot Linkletter and his wife, Helen, Alan Linkletter and his wife, Kate, April Hay and her husband, Gene, Michael Linkletter and his wife, Julie, Jean Bussell and her husband, Cory, Brent Linkletter and his wife, Erica, Matthew Linkletter and his wife, Bethany, Andrew Linkletter and his companion, Heather Henderson, and Samuel Perkins; 24 great-grandchildren; as well as many nieces and nephews.

The family would like to extend a special thank-you to the staff at Redington-Fairview General Hospital and Cedar Ridge Center in Skowhegan.

Donations may be made in Melba's memory to Cedar Ridge Center c/o Activity Fund, 23 Cedar Ridge Drive, Skowhegan, ME 04976.

There will be a graveside service later in the spring. Arrangements are under the care of Smart & Edwards Funeral Home, 183 Madison Ave., Skowhegan.

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Published in Morning Sentinel from May 1 to May 2, 2014

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Arrangements under the direction of Smart & Edwards Funeral Home, Skowhegan, ME.