Melba Ray Barger, 81, wife of the late Dann; mother of Harrel and wife Kimberly; and Michael and wife Tammy; and grandmother of Evan, Alex, Dana, Garrett, and Holli, departed this life on June 5, 2017 to spend eternity with her Heavenly Father.
Born Melba Ray Harrelson on May 13, 1936, she was the daughter of Herman Henry and Lucille Harrelson who predeceased her. She was the sister of Lavonne Jaramillo and the late Doris Jean Allen. She was the aunt of one niece, Lynda, and three nephews, Randy, David, and Mark, one brother-in-law, Ben Jaramillo. Melba was educated in the Cisco Public Schools and Cisco Junior College. She transferred to Howard Payne University in January, 1956. At Howard Payne she edited the yearbook, LASSO, for two years. She was a member of Alpha Chi and a charter member of Kappa Delta Pi, an honor society for the National Teacher’s Organization. The day after graduation from Howard Payne, Melba Ray married Dann Barger. Melba earned a MA from Sam Houston State University in Social Services and Social Rehabilitation. She taught in Odessa, Arlington, Gatesville (State School), Corsicana, and Bangs where she retired. Melba was a longtime member of FBC, Brownwood and was involved at Sunset Mission for over twenty-five- years. Long before the slogan “Teach today, Touch Tomorrow”, became popular, Melba was teaching children and youth in her Church. During college she worked three summers as a summer missionary for the
Baptist General Convention of Texas. She also served on the Board of WMU of Texas, the Woman’s Missionary of Texas. Melba loved God, her husband Dann, her children, grandchildren, other family members, teachers, plus the hundreds of students she taught at Bangs. She credits all of these with enriching her life.
Services will be Saturday June 10, 2017 at 11:00 AM at First Baptist Church in Brownwood, TX. Interment will be in a family plot at the Nimrod Cemetery in Eastland County. A visitation will be held Friday June 9, 2017 from 6:00 PM-8:00 PM at the funeral home. Heartland Funeral Home in Early is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials can be made to Howard Payne University – Harrelson-Barger Endowed Scholarship, The Mary Hill Davis offering for State Missions, or WMU of Texas.
