Services for O. A. “Mel” Melton, 86, of Ada are 10:00 a.m. Saturday at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Father Aaron Foshee will officiate. Burial will follow at Rosedale Cemetery. The U.S. Army Honor Guard will conduct military honors at the cemetery. A Prayer Vigil will be held at 6:00 p.m. Friday at Criswell Funeral Home.
He passed away Monday, October 1, 2018 at an Oklahoma City hospital. He was born May 1, 1932 at Byars, OK to Obra Altany and Ira Ruth Bates Melton.
He was drafted into the Army on November 21, 1952 and served in the 307th Military Police Battalion at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX and Fort Hood, TX. He was honorably discharged November 20, 1954.
Mr. Melton worked in the Civil Service starting in 1956 at Medina Base, Kelly Air Force Base and Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. After moving to Oklahoma, he worked at the McAlester Army Ammunition Depot until 1974, then worked at Valley View Regional Hospital in the Maintenance Department, retiring in 1994 after 20 years of service. He also worked 16 years part-time at the Ada School System.
He married Marcia Fritsch September 14, 1967 in San Antonio, TX. They celebrated 51 years of marriage. He and his wife enjoyed fishing and spending time with their family. Mr. Melton was a member of the St. Joseph Catholic Church.
Survivors include his wife, Marcia, of the home; daughters, Vickie (Sam) Hardin, Dana (Jim) Foster, Tonya (Jason) Kinsey, all of Ada and Cherie (John) Nugent, of Texas; his sons, Vincent and Steven Melton, both of Texas; granddaughters, Cara Morris, Shelby Mann, J. J. Foster, Madeline Kinsey, Jessica Kinsey, Julia Hardin, Katie Hardin, Rachel Selfridge; his grandsons, Darrin Foster, Michael Hartel, Chris Melton, James Melton; great-grandchildren, Carter Knighten, Felix Morris and Camryn Melton; three sisters, Estelle Pennington, Jewel Elmore, and Johnnie Sue (Raymond) Henegar of Stratford; many other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Bernice Ellsworth; and brothers, H. T. Melton and Garvin Melton.
Many thanks to Dr. Sanjay Sikka, Dr. Randall Baker of Mercy OKC Hospital, and Dr. Ashtami Banavali of Mercy Ada, and all the nurses in the Oncology Dept. at Mercy-Ada; and a special thanks to Dr. James Wight of Ada.
Criswell Funeral Home, Ada
