Melba Rebecca Francis

A graveside service celebrating the life of Melba Rebecca Francis, age 92, of Newark, will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 30, at Newark Memorial Gardens.

Friends may call from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Wednesday at Criss Wagner Hoskinson Funeral Home, 179 Granville Street in Newark. Due to Covid-19 concerns, masks must be worn inside the funeral home and please practice social distancing.

Melba died December 23, 2020 with her husband and loving caregiver Charles (Bub)
Francis by her side. She was born December 6, 1928 in Flatwoods, Tennessee, the second of six children of Jesse and Martha (Gifford) Bromley.

Melba came to Ohio at the age of 15, willing to work hard to escape poverty with the support of her cousin Mary Jo and sister Wilma. She worked at Heisey Glass in the etching department, married at 17, and had three daughters. In 1952 she was employed by Larsan Manufacturing and remained there until 1991. While there she had three more children. After Larsan closed she worked for another 15 years at Resinoid, retiring at the age of 80. Melba was always a dedicated and respected employee.

Melba was deprived of formal education beyond 9 ^th grade because of location, and obtained her GED in her early sixties after surviving an arduous illness. She never stopped learning and into her nineties was computer literate and produced her own greeting cards. She loved doing a crossword puzzle every day and was an avid genealogist. She also enjoyed bowling, fishing and gardening and had a great sense of humor. She also loved her rescue dog, Toby, and was a supporter of animal welfare. Melba had a charitable soul and was the first to show up with grocery bags of food when family or a friend was in need.

She is survived by her loving husband of 54 years, Charles Walter “Bub” Francis, whom she married September 4, 1966; children, Linda Perge Wheeler (Steve), Patricia Perge West (Kevin Hargreaves), Sandra Johnson-Bradford  (Thomas), Thomas Johnson (Deleane) and David Francis (Denise Fischer). Also surviving are grandchildren, Bryan Dumm, Ashley West, B.J. West, Casey Johnson, Cody Johnson, Aimee Shampine, and Dylan Fischer; and great-grandchildren, Abigail Dumm, Japhy Walsh, and Ava Shampine; her sister, Johnnie Mae Webster; and many nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, Melba suffered the loss of her beloved daughter, Margaret Perge Donley and son-in-law, Larry; her grandsons, Dusty Fischer and Jason Donley; great-grandson, Josef Dumm; and her siblings, Wilma Lammers, Mary DeLion, Betty Franks, and Bob Bromley.

Having once been a single mother with five children, Melba knew how hard the struggle could be and thus her family respectfully requests donations to the Food Pantry Network of Licking County, 1035 Brice Street, Newark, OH 43055 in lieu of flowers. Memorial contributions may also be made to the Licking County Humane Society, 825 Thornwood Drive SW, Heath, OH 43056.

Criss Wagner Hoskinson Funeral Home is honored to care for Melba and her family.