Melba Mae Lonberger

Melba Mae Lonberger Melba Mae Lonberger, 86, died November 19, 2011, in Salina, Kansas. She was born May 19, 1925, to Frank Harris and Maebelle Rathbun Keeler, in her parents' home near Barnard, Kansas, the fourth of five children. As a child she loved animals, and like her older sister, Maxyne, she collected pictures of movie stars. She enjoyed playing the piano and tap dancing, once tap dancing for the governor of Kansas. She graduated as Valedictorian of her high school class and at the encouragement of her teacher, Mrs. Selby, went on to get a teaching certificate at Kansas Wesleyan University. She taught at Malone, a one room school for two years, where one of her students, Stanley Crawford, introduced her to his uncle, Dean Lonberger. After dating for a year, she and Dean were married November 11, 1944. They moved to Davenport, Iowa, while Dean attended Chiropractic College, then returned to Kansas. Melba was happy being a mother to her four girls and running the household. She had a passion for organ playing, puzzle solving, and card games. For many years before his death, she and Doc started each day with their 'Morning Triathlon', a game of cribbage, a game of pinochle, and a game of pitch. She was thrilled when her four granddaughters came along, and loved being a grandmother. She enjoyed travel, visiting England, Germany and Canada, among other places. Melba was an excellent cook; she liked to read and watch old movies. She was a lifelong member of the United Methodist Church, first in Barnard, then in Lincoln, and was active in the church until ill health took its toll. She was preceded in death by her parents, an infant brother, Gilbert, her sister, Maxyne, her brother, Keith, and her husband, Dean. She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, DeAnnette and Tim Harries, Topeka, Brenda and Mike Classen, Overland Park, LaDonna and George Sanders, Kansas City, Kansas, and Roxanne and George Burritt, Seaside, California; granddaughters and grandsons-in-law Dr. Johnette Clark, Atchinson, Heather and Ray LeBlanc, Orangeville, Ontario, Canada, Anastasia and Patrick Wagner, Omaha, Nebraska, and Elysia Mettenbrink, Marquette, Nebraska; her sister and brother-in-law, Madge and Charles Cramb, Wichita, a sister-in-law, Helen Keeler, Salina, and many nieces, nephews and friends. Memorial services will be held November 26, at the United Methodist Church in Lincoln, Kansas, at 11:00 a.m., with the Pastor Kaye Metzler officiating. There will be no visitation; cremation has been performed by Carlson-Geisendorf Funeral Home in Salina. A private inurnment will take place in Lincoln City Cemetery at a later time. Memorial contributions may be made to the United Methodist Church, 216 N. 4th St, Lincoln, Kansas 67455, or Hospice of Salina, 730 Holly Lane, Box 2238, Salina, Kansas 67401.