Melba Smith

Melba Jerlene Smith, 84, of Cape Girardeau passed away Friday, Feb. 20, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center.

One of 12 children, she was born July 7, 1930, near Millersville, to Jessie and Desdia Stroder Sander.

She lived many years in Cape Girardeau and was employed 26 years at the former Thorngate.

She was a member of Haynes Chapel Methodist Church near Millersville and attended Maple Street Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau, where she was active in the Day Circle and crocheted prayer shawls for homebound and ill people. She enjoyed playing spades each week with her three dear friends, Muriel Day, Betty Brassy and Ethel Mize, and each month she joined in a luncheon with other former Thorngate employees.

Loving survivors include three children, Richard Baker of Clarksville, Tennessee, Sharon K. (Scott) Lindsay of Sedgewickville, Missouri, and Patty Perry of Cape Girardeau; a son-in-law, John Davisson of Jackson; eight grandchildren, Jesse Baker, Amy Sacha, John Tyler Davisson, Shena Hernandez, Sonya Kinder, Seth Ezell, Christopher Perry and Amber Perry; 14 great-grandchildren, Chantelle, Juliette, Jacob, Zachariah, Olivia, Destiny, Bryanne, Xander, Isabella, Omar, Kendra, Joseph, Paisley and Oliver; and two siblings, the Rev. Donald Sander of Millersville and Isadora Ackman of St. Louis.

She was preceded in death by two daughters, Renee Baker and Marsha Davisson; seven siblings, Doyle Sander, Joe Dayton Sander, Myrtle Criddle, Helen Jones, Imogene Slinkard, Mabel Hutson and Maxine Hahn; and two infant siblings, William and Lillian Sander.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at the chapel of McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson, and from noon to service time Tuesday at Haynes Chapel Methodist Church near Millersville.

The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the church, with the Rev. Jerry Sander officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Memorials may take the form of contributions to the American Cancer Society (breast cancer).

Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting mccombsfuneralhome.com.