Melba Joy Hester

Melba Joy Hester, 95, of Pampa, passed from this life on March 24, 2022.

Services will be at 10:00 AM Wednesday, March 30, 2022 at Mary Ellen & Harvester Church of Christ with Keith Feerer and Rodney Tedford officiating. Burial will follow in Memory Gardens Cemetery under the direction of Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors and Crematory.

Melba was born to Clyde and Maybelle Ballard on March 27, 1926 in Rockwall County, Texas. Melba’s family moved to the Lubbock and Shallowater area when she was 6 years old. After graduating Shallowater High School as class valedictorian in 1944 she attended business school and worked in Lubbock for 5 years.

She met Dee through a mutual friend when she was working as a secretary in Lubbock. Dee and Melba married on August 12, 1950. They had a wonderful honeymoon traveling to Niagara Falls. Dee and Melba raised 2 daughters, Kenda and Karan. Melba loved to sew and cook. Church was always an important part of her life, loved attending church, and loves all the members. She desired for her family and all here to remain faithful. She loved Jesus and looked forward to seeing him in heaven. She was an excellent wife, mother, and nana and her family and friends will miss her dearly.

Melba is survived by her husband, Albert Dee Hester; 2 daughters, Kenda Coffee and husband Sam and Karan Clark and husband Brad; grandchildren, Brandon Coffee, Brent Coffee, Jared Clark and wife Jayme, and Chris Clark and wife Kelsey; great grandchildren, Grayson, Anna, Luke, and Caleb; and 2 sisters, Lurlene McSpadden and Kathryn Reynolds.

The family would like to give special thanks to caregivers Tonya Garza, Rosie Whitley, and Carla Davis for their loving and devoted care of Melba in the last 5 months of her illness.

Memorials can be sent to High Plains Children's Home, 11461 S Western St, Amarillo, TX 79118.

Her service will be livestreamed at https://youtu.be/WkW6_JsK--U