Melba Abshure

Funeral services for Melba Clarice Abshure will be held Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. at the Church of Christ in Elmore City, OK. Pastor Joe Terrell will be officiating. Burial will follow at the Elmore City Cemetery under the direction of Wooster Funeral Home. Melba Abshure of Norman, OK was born June 27, 1924 in Elmore City. She was the oldest of seven children to Ida and Earl Pickens. Melba passed away Friday, March 20th in Norman, Oklahoma at the age of 84. Melba grew up around the Elmore City area. She attended Elmore City Schools and was on the girls High School basketball team. She married Thomas Lester Abshure on August 28, 1941. Together they eventually made their retirement home in Elmore City. Melba enjoyed meeting people and loved making new friends. She has many friends all over the country including Bismarck, North Dakota and Lincoln, Nebraska where she and her husband lived during his career in Civil Service. Melba had a great sense of humor, and a keen wit. She could always make her children laugh. She was an excellent and loving homemaker, mother and wife. Some of her many hobbies included canning and garage sale shopping. She was the ultimate “Avon Lady’ and was loved by all her customers. Melba was also an excellent seamstress and loved sewing clothes and gifts for her children and grandchildren. She also enjoyed ceramics and made many beautiful gifts for friends and family. Melba was a wonderful cook and especially loved to bake cakes and pies. One memorable day she baked 30 apple pies. She shared her talent of baking by taking her best desserts to many shut-ins. Melba is preceded in death by her husband: Thomas L. Abshure; her parents; one sister, Mavis Ward; and two brothers, GW Pickens and Ray Pickens. Survivors include four daughters and a son: daughter Tommye Kaye and husband Bruce Winters of Blanchard, OK; daughter Donna and husband Tom Horner of Boise, Idaho; daughter Dianne Moxness of Sparks, Nevada; son Grant Abshure and wife Angie of Oklahoma City; and daughter Amy and husband Eddie Stewart of Elmore City; 10 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren; sister Jean Starling of Troutdale, OR; sister Glenda Moore of Vail, AZ; and brother Calvin Pickens of Myrtle Creek, OR. Melba will be greatly missed by all who were touched by her generous and loving life.

Melba Abshure

June 27, 1924 - March 20, 2009