Rachel Melvin

MELVIN, RAHCEL S. The light we knew as just Rachel has gone out and the world is slightly a darker place as a result. She was an extremely intense person regarding the world around her and was widely read and educated.
She was born in Opelika, Alabama on July 5, 1930 to John D and Jenny Inez Wilson Shaver. Her birthday was one day after her mothers birthday and two days before her fathers birthday. Unfortunately, her mother passed away just three weeks after Rachels arrival and she was raised by her maternal grandmother in a very rural setting in North Central Missouri. She then joined her father who was working in Chicago, Illinois. She spent the World War II years there, then followed her father to his new position as a professor at West Virginia College at Breckhanon, West Virginia and graduated with the class of 1951. Subsequently she then taught high school English and earned a second BS in teaching plus a spate of summer sessions which culminated in an MA in English from the University of Michigan. Finally she came to Albuquerque to earn a second MA in Guidance and Counseling.
She met her future husband Norman who was grinding through a MS in Geology. It was a whirlwind courtship lasting from March 6, 1960 to May 20, 1960 but there wasnt a marriage until February 24, 1961, her maternal grandmothers 77th birthday. She then followed her husband back east to two places in Pennsylvania, to one place in Virginia and then back to Philadelphia before finally returning back West to Reno, Nevada and finally retirement in Roswell in 1994.
Rachel was extremely active in politics but preferred to work in the nuts and bolts of the programs rather actually being behind any one candidate. She also was a regular attendee in the church and lived the Christian life as a follower, not a fan.
Rachel was a strong woman both mentally and emotionally and struggled with her Alzheimers dementia for close to ten years before finally passing on to her home in heaven on April 2, 2012 just three months short of her 82nd birthday.
She is survived by her husband Norman, two children, Stanley Melvin of Reno, NV Martha Guirant and her husband Douglas and their two children, Jacob and Inez also of Reno, NV. She is also survived by two maternal aunts, Nita Brannis of California and Nola Whorton of Washington State, two cousins in Albuquerque, NM, Dr. Zelda Maggart and Charles Opdyke.
Memorial services are scheduled for 2:00 p.m., Thursday, April 12, 2012 at LaGrone Funeral Chapel.
A very sincere and profound thank you to everyone there at Heartfelt Manor for an over and above extended care which they rendered to Rachel for sixteen months.

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