LILLIAN MELTON
Jan. 22,1919-Sept. 9, 2016
Elizabeth Lillian Melton, 97, passed away on Friday, Sept. 9, 2016, at Countryside Assisted Living in Pikeville.
Lillian was born Jan. 22, 1919 in Goldsboro, N.C., the daughter of Charles L. and Lola Lillian Pate. She was predeceased by her husband, Benjamin Clarence Melton and eight siblings, Eula, Albert, Charlie, Rea, Russel, Lesslie, James and her beloved baby brother, Walter. She is survived by her son, David Melton and granddaughter, Lily Melton of Aspen, Colorado.
Lillian graduated from Goldsboro High School and attended Atlantic Christian College classes in Wilson, N.C., during World War II. She was fiercely loyal to her husband, embarking on an adventurous solo journey to the front gate of his Army base in Texas and DEMANDING to see him before he was shipped to Europe to fight the Nazis. As a member of America's greatest generation, Lillian was, in spirit, with her husband Clarence and his fellow soldiers every step of the way from the beaches of Sicily, to surviving the Battle of the Bulge, to the gates of Dachau. Her husband's WWII Company I journey is chronicled in Alex Kershaw's 2012 book, "The Liberator."
After WWII, Lillian and Clarence continued their life in Goldsboro, raising a family and becoming life-long members of Jefferson United Methodist Church in 1959. The church was the center of her social and spiritual life and she joyfully devoted countless hours of service over the years, touching many lives. Lillian worked for many years teaching a class of 4-year-olds at the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Nursery with her lifelong friend, June Kaylor.
Lillian never tired of being a loyal wife, adoring mother and grandmother, and friend to so many during her long stay on this earth. Even in her last years, as she outlived and grieved the passing of so many family members and friends and suffered from dementia, Lillian's glass was always half full. She kept her dignity and compassion for others to the end. It can truly be said that Lillian's life was a life well lived.
The family will receive friends on Thursday, Sept.15, 2016, from 12-1 p.m. at Seymour Funeral Home followed by a service celebrating Lillian's life at 1 p.m. in the chapel of Seymour Funeral Home with the Rev. Linda Grider officiating. Interment will follow in Wayne Memorial Park.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.seymourfuneralhome.com.
(Pd)
Published in Obituaries on September 12, 2016 9:57 AM