Melanie Sibley

Published 12:00 am Monday, September 13, 2010

Services for Melanie Crum Dinger Sibley, 88, who died Sunday, Sept. 12, will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Young’s Funeral Home with Rev. Clyde Ray Webber officiating.

Burial will follow at Greenlawn Memorial Cemetery on Morgantown Road in Natchez.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation from 5 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.

Melanie Crum Dinger Sibley passed away peacefully early Sunday morning.

Melanie was born in Ferriday, on the 25th day of December, 1921 to Basker Crum and his wife Bessie.

Melanie married Roland Dinger in 1940 and he preceded her in death in 1973.

She is survived by their children, Gloria Blake and husband Dr. Glenn Blake of Houston, Jimmy Dinger and wife Connie, of Natchez and Leah Rowan and husband Ed of Ferriday.

She is also survived by grandchildren, André Kliebert, Adam Kliebert, Alexander Kliebert and wife Teresa, April McMayon and husband Jerad all of Houston, Texas, Jason Dinger of Natchez, Josh Dupree of Ferriday, and Chris Dupree of Grand Junction, Colo; and her great-grandchildren Georgia McMayon, Davis McMahon, Madeline and Peyton Kliebert all of Houston.

She is also survived by her sister, Jeanie Hale and husband Bob of Houston,;and her brother, the Rev. Russell Crum and wife Catherine of Monterey; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her sisters, Edna Enloe and husband Isaac, Lois Williams and husband John L.; her brothers, William L. (Dub) Crum and wife Dixie and Ernest (Sonny) Crum and wife Mary Ann.  She was also preceded in death by her second husband, Melville (Buck) Sibley.

Melanie’s love and trust in God was evident in her life.

She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Ferriday and a former member of the choir.

When her children were young, she taught Sunday school, was a Girl Scout leader and a Cub Scout den mother.  She was a member of the order of the Eastern Star and former Worthy Matron.

In the 1950’s, Melanie was the Ferriday society writer for the Alexandria Daily Town Talk.

She was a telephone operator for Southern Bell and the bookmobile librarian for Concordia Parish.

Melanie loved to cook, and when Huntington School opened and had no cafeteria, she provided and delivered many meals for the students.

She also made the best hot tamales anyone ever tasted, and she filled orders for years.

After her stroke in 1986 she continued to share her wonderful meals until she was unable to.

She will be greatly missed by her friends and loved ones.

The family wishes to extend our deepest appreciation to Dr. Sarah Lee and to Ms. Leola Jones and her caregivers who cared for our mother the past five years when we could not be there.

Pallbearers will be André, Adam and Alexander Kliebert, Jason Dinger, Josh Dupree and Jared McMahon.  Burial will be at Greenlawn Memorial Cemetery on Morgantown Road in Natchez.

The family requests donations be made to the First Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 827, Ferriday, LA.