Melba Joyce Lewis

Funeral services for Melba Joyce Lewis will be held on Friday, March 20th, 2020 at 11:00 AM at Reed-Culver Funeral Home. Her family is planning on private family visitations. She will be laid to rest next to Sam Arch Lewis at Moody Cemetery following services. Online condolences may be left at www.reedculver.com.

Pallbearers for Melba include Dylan Luper, Blake Kirby, Josh Luper, Christina Woodruff, and Jessica Woodruff. Her honorary pallbearers include Michael Foreman, Sam Bowers, John Pasdach, Jerry Womack, Rusty Anderson, Marshall Conner, Anthony Senters, Gary Bullington, and John Mitchell

Melba Joyce Womack-Lewis was born on Thursday, October 30th, 1941, in Russellville, AR, the daughter of Loyd William and Sylvia Christine (Goings) Womack. She grew up with her mother and stepfather, Carthal Wooley, and with one brother, Jerry Womack. Upon completing high school, she took classes to do bookkeeping, and worked most of her adult life as a bank bookkeeper for Bank Of America. On November 3rd, 1972, she would marry the love of her life, Sam Arch Lewis, at the Grace Baptist Church in Tahlequah, OK. The most important thing in Melba’s life was her seven children, twenty two grandchildren and thirty great grandchildren. There was nothing she enjoyed more than gathering them together to celebrate one of life’s special moments or a holiday. She would go to the kitchen and make one of her famous lasagna meals, and of course her cookies and cinnamon rolls were the best ever made. She spent hours in her gardens, raising beautiful flowers and the best vegetables, canning it all for her family to eat in the winter. She was always running comfortably around the house, minus her shoes, and always in the company of her many pets, dogs, cats, horses, and even a pet rooster, who loved only her. When she wasn’t working, she was bowling in league, riding horse back, or crafting and crocheting. She was a devoted daughter, wife, mother and grandmother, who always took the time to tell you how much she loved you, how proud she was of you, and give you her million dollar smile and hug. Her door was always open and there wasn’t anything Nana couldn’t fix, she was special like that. Her husband passed from this life in 2011, and she continued her time with her family until her health began to fade. She passed from this life on Friday, March 13th, 2020 in Tahlequah, OK after reaching the age of 78 years, 4 months, and 13 days. No one can ever replace Nana. She was a guiding light and a shining star.

She is preceded in death by her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs.Monroe Clark, her mother and father, her husband Sam, two children, Danny Shipp and Cassandra Doss, two grandsons, Dustin Mitchell and Devin Cantrell, one great grandson, Kyle Luper, and her stepfathers parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wooley.

Those she leaves to celebrate her life include her children, Tanya Bullington and husband Gary of Ft. Smith, AR, Rossanna Anderson and husband Rusty of Tahlequah, OK, Sam Bowers of Owasso, OK, Angelia Pasdach and husband John of Claremore, OK, and Joyce Marie Sitsler and husband James of Locust Grove, OK. She lives on in her grandchildren, Brandy Foreman and husband Michael, Johnny Mitchell and wife Amanda, Jessica Woodruff, Christina Woodruff, Nick Mitchell, Kandy Luper and husband Josh, Jenny Conner and husband Marshall, David Shipp and wife Emily, April Jones, Samantha Finch and husband John, Shannon Card, Jonathan Card, Donnie Bullington, Chelsea Cantrell, Brittany Kirby and husband Blake, Sierra Cantrell, Carl Jones, Mia Bowers, Kimberly Tomlin and husband Phillip, and James Sitsler. She also leaves her great grandchildren, Alexia Rule, Savannah Swafford, Adonis Wilson, Kaden Schenk, Bentley Conner, Cheyenne Tayrien, Dylan Luper, Alexander Foreman, Hallie Foreman, Arianna Walker, Mallory Mitchell, Makayla Luper, Dakota Mitchell, Leland Mitchell, Rayland Mitchell, Shyloh Jones, Shiloh Mitchel, Lilly Shipp, Colton Shipp, Ally Tomlin, Bradley Tomlin, Braelynn Jones, Zander Jones, Chloe Card, Emily Card, Heather Finch, Aughston Boyd, Madisyn Card, Anthony Card, and Alexandre Card. There are also three great great grandchildren, Avery Swafford, Lincoln Swafford, and Legend Swafford, as well as many cousins , and a host of friends and loved ones too numerous to mention.