Melba Siegmund

Melba Jo Siegmund (Jo to her friends and immediate family; Melba to her extended family) went to be with her Lord and Savior on June 4, 2022, in Marble Falls, Texas, following an extended series of physical setbacks. Several times, she confounded the predictions of various physicians by bouncing back, but her body finally wore out.

She was born in Denton County, Texas on August 31, 1929, to Newton Rite Sipes and Mary Caroline Parsons Sipes. Melba Jo was the eleventh of twelve siblings and was the last remaining of the group. Her father died when she was six, but she had plenty of big brothers and sisters to help raise her.

She married Ray Siegmund on July 21, 1951, in Wichita Falls, Texas. They were together for 61 years, until his passing in 2012. Early in their marriage, they lived in the Texas Panhandle town of Wheeler, and she gave birth to two sons, Eric and Brent. They later moved to Fort Stockton, Texas, where they built a home and became active and valuable members of the community.

Even though she didn’t graduate from college, she was a lifelong learner, and took continuing education courses whenever her time as a mom permitted. She was a longtime member of First Baptist Church of Fort Stockton, and as a Sunday School teacher, her class of high school girls included a future daughter-in-law. She also volunteered as the church librarian for a number of years.

Her community contributions included a tenure on the Pecos County Hospital board, where she had a term as board president.

Following Rayo’s retirement, they enjoyed camping in their Holiday Rambler trailer. She also volunteered in the local high school’s mentoring program, helping students gain the skills necessary to achieve their goals. She eventually became her husband’s primary caregiver for a couple of years before his death, an undertaking that proved her strength, but also contributed to her own health challenges.

When her health began to falter, she moved in 2019 to Gateway Gardens and Villas, an assisted living facility in Marble Falls. There, she became known as JoJo, which brought a smile to her face, even as she brought smiles to the faces of all those around her. As her capacity for speech began to disappear, she still continued to be outgoing, and greeted everyone she encountered.

She is survived by her sons Eric (Debbie) of Horseshoe Bay, and Brent (Lisa) of Fort Stockton, as well as almost too many nieces and nephews to count.

Her family is grateful to her faithful friends in Fort Stockton, especially Mrs. Charlene Whitfield who served her often as a chauffeur, and to her fellow members at First Baptist Church. We are also grateful to the staff at Gateway Gardens and Villas for their caring and faithful service during the past few years.

A family visitation will be held at Heritage Funeral Home on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, with a graveside service and interment at East Hill Cemetery the following day Thursday, June 9, 2022, at 10:00am. The family respectfully requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to The Wounded Warrior Project, First Baptist Church of Fort Stockton, or to your favorite charity.