Vera "Mama Nellie" Melone

Vera Nell “Nellie” Melone, 90, passed away peacefully on October 7, 2018, in Meadows Place, Texas. Nellie was born on January 27, 1928, in Lubbock, Texas, to Russell Andrew “Ra” and Minnie Fay Jones. She was reared on a 100 section ranch in West Texas and eastern NM and was a crack shot with a 22 as a young girl. She attended Texas Tech College in Lubbock and Park College in Parkville, MO, where the first person she met was her husband of 51 years, the late Nicholas Mario Melone, the ‘soft spoken’ full blooded Italian, who immediately ‘changed’ her name from Vera Nell to Nellie. She lived and raised her family in Seminole, Texas, where she taught piano for 20 years. When her husband changed companies, relocation began -from Seminole to Albuquerque, NM, to Sioux City, Iowa, to St. Paul, Minnesota. Deciding that Minnesota was beautiful but too COLD, the Melones returned to the South. Moving to Marshall, TX, in the early seventies brought about a change in careers, first in retail sales, then in the real estate business. Nellie became a licensed real estate salesman and broker, opening her own business, Nellie Melone Realty in 1979, specializing in old Victorian homes. She was also an active leader in East Texas business, civic and cultural circles. She was a member of the Marshall Board of Realtors, holding numerous offices and receiving the Salesman of the Year award in 1977 and the Realtor of the Year award in 1979 and 1989. She was a member and president of Marshall BPW [Business and Professional Women] and chosen as Woman of Achievement in 1979. In 1980, she was elected as District IV Director and District IV Woman of the Year in 1980 and 1985. She was a Life Member of the National Federation of Music Clubs and past president of the Marshall Music Club and Sixth District of Texas Federation of Music Clubs. She was also an active member of the Greater Marshall Chamber of Commerce, the Marshall Regional Arts Council, the Marshall Depot, the Marshall Council of Women’s Clubs, the Marshall Cultural Affairs Committee, the “Pink Ladies” of the Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

And yet, Mama Nellie, as she was affectionately known, was never too busy to participate along with Papa Nick, in “National Grandsons Week” in which they welcomed their only 5 grandchildren at the time [all boys - ages 7 to 1 year] into their home for a week of fun and games. It was years before the grandsons realized that “National Grandsons Week” was not an actual holiday, but one invented by their grandparents [and their parents!] for their pleasure. She also enjoyed living close to her three youngest grandchildren, participating happily in their activities. Mama Nellie was always a positive, witty, smiling, happy, glass is half-full kind of person with a wicked sense of humor who enjoyed people, music, and antiques. She was once described as a cross between John Wayne and The Singing Nun. She could talk to a “wrong number” on the phone for 30 minutes and was always available for empathy, advice and encouragement to all of her many friends. She loved and was beloved by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She will live forever in their hearts and be remembered fondly by all.

Mama Nellie is survived by her daughters and son-in-law, Melinda and Alan Young of Sugar Land and Mollie Inman of Richmond; her ‘in town’ daughter, Brenda Johnson of Marshall; grandchildren, Rusty [Pily] Young of Brownsville, Matt [Suzanne] Young of Sugar Land, Sam Young of Astoria, NY, Ross [Hope] Inman of Wilmington NC, Charlie [Fiona] Inman of Richmond, Lora Melone of Evansville, IN, Heather Melone of Tyler, and Nico Melone of Tyler; great-grandchildren, Nicolas and Sebastian Young of Brownsville, Addison and Kylie Young of Sugar Land, Cash and Austin Inman of Wilmington, NC, Lucy and Caroline Inman of Richmond, and Hayden and Taylor Blythe of Evansville, IN. Mama Nellie was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Nick, her son-in-law, Harold Inman, and her son, Mario.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at The Settegast-Kopf Co. @ Sugar Creek, Sugar Land, TX, November 21, 2018 @ 11:00 a.m. Her beloved pastor of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Marshall, TX, Rusty Rustenhaven, will be officiating.

Tribute and/or words of condolence can be left at www.settegastkopf.com. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to a charity of choice.