Melba Dean (Williams) Irvin passed peacefully from this life on Wednesday, September 15, 2021. Melba was born in August of 1931 in Cherokee County, Oklahoma to Calvin and Lela Williams. Growing up she lived through both the Oklahoma Dust Bowl and The Great Depression and the hardships she endured had a lasting effect. She could stretch a dollar farther than seemed possible and created a plentiful home for her family through careful management and her own creativity and hard work.
Although Melba lived in California various times during her early life, most of her life was spent in Hackett, Arkansas. She graduated from Hackett High School in 1949, as did her three children many years later. She was a long-time member of the Hackett First Baptist Church and she and her husband, Paul, lived in their home on North Oak street for over 40 years.
Melba was preceded in death by her first husband, Billy Fulgham; her second husband, Paul Irvin; her daughter, Diana Fulgham; sisters, Marie Watson, Katherine Goforth and Mary Wright and her brother, Rudy Williams.
Melba is survived by a daughter, Sherri Watson of Hackett; son, David Fulgham and wife, Nicole of Charleston; granddaughter, Misti Patterson of Fort Smith; two grandsons, Shane Porter of Locust Grove, OK and Saber Woodard of Fort Smith; great-grandson, Brett Palmatary of Tulsa, OK; two great-granddaughters, Diana Palmatary of Fort Smith and Stephanie Porter of Fort Smith; great-great granddaughter, Alli, as well as many more dear family and friends.
Graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, September 18 at Ramsey Cemetery, east of Hackett, at the corner of New Hope Rd. and Reeves Rd. (Reeves Rd off Hwy 10 between Hackett and Greenwood) under the direction of McConnell Funeral Home of Greenwood. Viewing will be Friday from 1 - 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
To sign an online guestbook, please visit www.mcconnellfh.com.
