Melba Hamilton

Melba Hamilton, 82, of Cape Girardeau passed away Saturday, July 23, 2022, at Southeast Hospital.

She was born Dec. 2, 1939, in St. Charles, Missouri, the daughter of Joseph Beal Peyton and Annie Winnifred Parrish. She had an idyllic childhood and graduated from St. Charles High School in 1957. After high school, she worked for McDonnell Douglas, where she was an administrative assistant to several engineers including those who were working on subcontracts helping prepare for the moon landing. She attended Lindenwood College before moving to Cape Girardeau, where she graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in 1969.

While attending Southeast Missouri State, Melba met and fell in love with Larry Hamilton, an assistant professor at the college. They married June 6, 1970, at Trinity Episcopal Church in St. Charles. After a honeymoon at the Lake of the Ozarks, they returned to Cape Girardeau, where they lived for the rest of their lives.

When they were first married, Melba taught typing, first at Jackson High School and then briefly at Notre Dame and Cape Girardeau Central high schools. After retiring from teaching, she took on several part-time jobs, serving for many years as the church secretary for Christ Episcopal and later Good Shepherd Lutheran churches. She also twice worked for the United States Census.

She was a devoted mom to her daughter, Jennifer, and frequently volunteered at her school and for her various activities from Girl Scouts to Job's Daughters. She always welcomed Jennifer's friends to their home and was especially fond of Jennifer's best childhood friends, Wendy Godfrey Wiseman and her sister, Lori Godfrey, both of whom she considered her bonus daughters.

Melba was a long-time member of Christ Episcopal Church in Cape Girardeau, where she taught Sunday school and helped with projects like the Halloween haunted house in the church basement for several years. She enjoyed cross stitching and embroidery and was known for making hand-stitched Christmas stockings for various children in her and her family's lives.

In retirement, she joined a local chapter of the Red Hats. She looked forward to their monthly outings, carpooling with her good friend Linda Godfrey. One of the highlights of her year was attending the Parrish family reunions, which her sister, Carolyn, organized. She was not fond of technology, but reluctantly learned to Zoom during the pandemic. She also enjoyed exchanging handwritten letters with her two grandchildren of whom she was exceptionally fond.

She was preceded in death by her parents and husband.

Survivors include her daughter, Jennifer (Jason) Green of North Little Rock, Arkansas; two grandchildren, Max and Claire, also of North Little Rock; a sister-in-law, Carolyn Rose of St. Charles; two adult nephews and their families.

A memorial service is planned for 2 p.m. Saturday at Christ Episcopal Church in Cape Girardeau. Interment will be in the church columbarium.

Memorials may be made to Christ Episcopal Church, 101 N. Fountain St., in Cape Girardeau.

Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.