Melvina Burke, age 85, of Wellston, passed away Tuesday, July 14, 2015, at her sister Maxine’s home in Wellston. She was born September 21, 1929 in Wellston, Ohio to the late Vint Leon Slavens and Cynthia Kathryn Buckley Slavens.
Melvina retired from the Wellston City Schools, where she worked as a cook for 30 years. She cooked at Washington Township School and then at Wellston High School for all of those years. She attended the former Wills Chapel Church of Christ in Christian Union in Wellston and was a 50-year member of the Washington Township Grange and a member of O.P.S.E. Melvina enjoyed cooking, taking rides and looking for deer, going to yard sales, the outdoors, her pets and spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She is survived by her two sons, Terry Burke (Pat) of Columbus and Dean Burke of Wellston; grandchildren, B.J. Burke, Paula Burke, Jeremy Adams and Zachary Burke; siblings, Helen Diddle of Syracuse, Maxine Jacobs of Wellston, Bob Slavens (Lavonne) of Roswell, New Mexico, Kathryn Holcomb of Nevada, Oh., and Wanda Childers (Herb) of Wellston; sisters-in-law, Brenda Slavens of Dundas, Dorothy Slavens of Jackson and Carolyn Burke of Wellston, as well as 10 great-grandchildren and several nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Besides her parents, Melvina was preceded in death by her son, Rick Burke on June 24, 2015, and her brothers, John Slavens, Earl Slavens, Eddie Newman and William Newman.
Calling hours will be Saturday from 2 to 8 p.m. at the McWilliams Funeral Home in Wellston. At Melvina’s request, cremation will follow the calling hours and burial will be in the Hamden Cemetery at the convenience of her family. Online condolences can be sent to the family at www.mcwilliams-funeralhome.com