Born August 19, 1936 in Paragould, Arkansas to Lois Wells, she married John “Jack” Mellies on June 5, 1970. He died in 1989. She was also preceded in death by her mother and one infant daughter, Lois.
Surviving are two daughters, Cheryl (Tom Davis) Mellies-Davis of Peoria and Christina (Justin Bizier) Mellies of Stoney Creek, Ontario; her step-children, Wyatt Mellies of East Peoria, Bret Mellies of St. Petersburg, Florida and Marla (Peter Delaney) Mellies of Anacortes, Washington; six grandchildren (including her “Sweetie”, Elise); several great-grandchildren; one brother, Max (Marty) Wells of Gainesville, Missouri; her grand-puppies and beloved cat, Spike.
Barb graduated from East Peoria High School and was a long-time resident of Pekin. She previously worked at Caterpillar Inc., where she participated in several Caterpillar Chorus productions and retired from Excalibur Seasoning Company in Pekin.
She had a good wit and loved socializing with the Red Hat Society, Pieces of Eight, Fun Group, Bridge Club, member of CWF and Y Reserves. She enjoyed eating breakfast on Monday mornings at Cobbler Corner with her friends from water aerobics.
Barb loved gardening, watching birds and traveling. Barb likely read thousands of books as she read every day and enjoyed playing games, particularly bridge and board games. She was competitive, but always had fun win or lose. Barb would tell it like it is, but it always came from the heart.
She wanted the best for her friends and family, including the families of the Chestnut Street girls. Barb was “Bam, Bam” to her cousins Denise and Lisa who cherished her sense of humor. Her Aunt Marty was like a sister, and she spent a special day with her prior to her death. She will be greatly missed by all those who loved her.
Barb was an active longtime and dedicated member of First Christian Church in Pekin where she served as past treasurer and was involved making apple dumplings for the Pekin Marigold Festival.
Her memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Friday, November 4, 2022 at Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory in Pekin. Pastor Mark Foglio will officiate. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers and in reminder of her kind and generous spirit, the family requests memorial contributions be made to First Christian Church of Pekin, 1201 Chestnut Street, Pekin, Illinois 61554 or Tazewell County Animal Control, 21314 IL-9, Tremont, Illinois 61568.
The family would like to thank the kind and caring staff on the 7th floor of UnityPoint Health - Pekin Hospital.
To express condolences online, visit www.preston-hanley.com
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