Melba Youngblood Adamson

Melba was born to Joseph C. Youngblood and Minnie Wade Youngblood on January 29, 1928, in Hawkinsville, GA. She was an only child until age 7, when her sister Joyce was born. That was a joyous day for Melba. She proudly announced to the rest of the family that she had ordered Joyce from the Sears Roebuck catalog.

At age 12, Melba moved from Hawkinsville to Atlanta. She attended O’Keefe Middle School and later Girls High. At Girls High, she captained the Recycling Club and orchestrated the announcement posters in the halls. During high school, Melba worked at the candy counter at Woolworth’s during the week and at Rich’s on Saturdays.

From Girls High, Melba went on to college at Georgia State, where she earned a degree in personnel management. She loved ballroom dancing and the Friday parties at Georgia Tech. In her first week, she joined the Riding Club, but on the first horseback ride fell and broke her arm, thus ending her riding career. She was also a member of Delta Alpha Delta sorority. At Georgia State, she was introduced by friends to the man who would become her love and ultimately her husband, Linton M. (“Lynn”) Adamson. They were married a week after she graduated.

Melba began working at Rich’s as a buyer, but with the birth of her two girls, Sandy and Lee Anne, she left work to devote herself full time to their care and upbringing. She was totally selfless and spared no effort to encourage her girls to succeed in all their various endeavors. When her husband Lynn died unexpectedly of a heart attack at age 46, she threw herself even more into caring for Sandy and Lee Anne as a single mom.

When Sandy was Miss Georgia, Melba was her official chaperone, travelling from the Rattlesnake Roundup in Claxton to Atlantic City and many places in between.

After Sandy and Lee Anne were grown, Melba went back to work in the front office of Sandy’s internal medicine practice. Like the office “mother,” she always greeted the patients with a smile and loved to hear about all the news in their lives.

With the arrival of Sandy’s twins George and Sandra Lynne and Lee Anne’s daughter Isabelle, Melba became the consummate grandmother. She was a “hands on” grandmother and spent many happy hours with her grandchildren, including being an ever-present encourager in all their athletic endeavors.

In her 70s, she was swept off her feet by Wade Knowles, a long-time patient of Sandy’s whose wife had passed away. She married Wade, and they had many happy years together. After Melba’s losing her first husband at such a young age, it was wonderful to get to see Melba and Wade find each other in the September of their lives.

Melba was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She was a wonderful cook who delighted in feeding her children, grandchildren and the rest of her family, especially with the secret recipe for her creamed corn, fresh off the cob. She was one of the most unselfish people anyone could encounter.

The family wishes to thank Mayra Farias, Paulo Farias, and Ada Ramirez for the loving, tender care they provided to Melba when she was unable to continue to live independently.

Melba is survived by her sister, Joyce Spradley; husband, Wade Knowles; daughter, Dr. Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, and son-in-law, George W. Fryhofer III; daughter, Dr. Lee Anne Adamson, and son-in law, Bobby Tehrani; grandchildren Sandra Lynne Fryhofer, George Fryhofer IV, and Isabelle Tehrani.

After a private family burial, a memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, October 20, 2015, in the Chapel of the Church of the Apostles, 3585 Northside Pkwy NW, Atlanta, GA, with Dr. James Saxon officiating. If so desired, memorials may be made to Church of the Apostles, 3585 Northside Pkwy NW, Atlanta, GA 30327. Arrangements are entrusted to H.M. Patterson & Son, Spring Hill, Atlanta, GA.