Mary Glenna Rowland Melton was born to Claude and Hattie Rowland on May 26, 1924, in the tiny south Arkansas hamlet of Warren.  Mary Glenna was the second of five children born to devout Christian parents, where conveniences were often scarce, but love for God and love for each other never were.  The Rowland family’s unshakeable faith in Christ, and love for each other, saw them through hard times and heartbreaking days during the Great Depression.  Two of Mary Glenna’s siblings, Betty Jane and C.R. (her only brother) would die in childhood.  Another sister, Dorothy, would die as a young adult. But even in the darkest times, the God of the Rowland family sustained them.  The winds certainly blew.  But the Rock never moved.

Mary Glenna accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior at the age of ten and lived to serve Him with no deviation for nine decades!  (This fact was born out by everybody who knew her in any capacity – that’s just who Mary Glenna was).  As a teenager, Mary Glenna and her sister Sarah Francis often taught Bible studies in rural communities – sharing the faith with other young people long before the day of organized youth groups.  Though money was scarce at the outbreak of World War II, after high school, Mary Glenna took the adventurous step to enroll at Central Baptist College in Conway, Arkansas – about as far from home as she had ever been. In college she sang in the women’s sextet that traveled and ministered in churches all over Arkansas.  She was also one of four ladies who memorized the entire Sermon on the Mount (111 verses in all) and recited Jesus’ longest recorded discourse as part of their ministry.  She remembered those Scriptures with very little prompting even in her nineties.

A young seminary student in Ft. Worth, Texas, heard about Mary Glenna and began writing her.  Their letters are still valued possession of the family as their love story unfolded exclusively in writing.  Even the proposal came in a letter after they had met in person only twice.  On August 22, 1946, Rev. J.H. Melton and Mary Glenna Rowland married in Blytheville, Arkansas.  Their marriage would last 49 years until his death in 1995.  Those 49 years included ministry that took the Meltons to all 50 states and literally around the world to proclaim the Gospel in dozens of nations.  It would include years of evangelism, pastorates, Bible college professorships, and, production of theological writings – and always…family.

The Melton’s four children all came to personal faith of their own as children, learned more about the Bible at the dinner table than many learn in a college degree, and subsequently, Faith, Dwight, Grace and David all went into vocational ministry.  Their children and grandchildren are carrying on the legacy of faith which originated in that home.

To know Mary Glenna Melton was an absolute gift from God.   She never outgrew her modest roots, and never lost her appreciation for all blessings, even little ones.  Her energy to serve others in Jesus’ Name never waned.  Her long, full life carried her to several church families in different states, and she was a loved, appreciated and respected member of each church family.  Her final church family, Calvary Baptist Church of Melbourne, became her cherished home just as the other churches in her life always were.  Her last ten years, which were some of her very best, she spent living with Bruce and Grace in Viera and making so many friends through her church and her Thursday morning ladies Bible study group.  Many of those women have called Mary Glenna “Gigi” their role model.

In her family, whether you called her “mom”, “Grandma”, “Grammers,” “Gigi” or even “Gram-crackers” fully THREE GENERATIONS of family have been eternally imprinted by the incomparable example of Mary Glenna Melton.  We all know that she talked to the Lord about every one of us…virtually every day.  And when she prayed, we knew heaven heard.  She not only showed us how to live like a Christian.   She even showed us how to die in the Lord.

Early Sunday morning, July 24, 2022, Mary Glenna Rowland Melton entered Heaven into the presence of the Savior she loved and served.  Her six month illness had left her body weak and sick, but her mind and faith remained vibrant and strong.  We all wept in her final hours – but she smiled.  For Mary Glenna, death had already lost its sting.  On Sunday morning she physically met the Lord Jesus whom she already knew so well!  And she was reunited with her entire family from the Warren years, some of who she had missed for nearly a century.  Then – we in the family – have imagined the reunion with our Dad, her husband for exactly half of her long, fruitful life.  Last Sunday morning there was a “girls’ reunion,” Mom and her firstborn daughter, missionary Faith (Melton) Nash are together again.  Faith married Missionary James Nash, and together they served the Gospel in Brazil (James continues to serve there faithfully now well into his seventies). Undoubtedly the “girls’ reunion” included much-loved daughter in law, Sherry Melton, Mary Glenna’s first daughter-in-law.  There are a lot of “in-law jokes” out there, but none of them fit the life of Mary Glenna Melton.

Mary Glenna is survived by her son Dwight Melton, of Kernersville, North Carolina, her daughter Grace (Bruce) Snavely of Viera, Florida,  and son David (Kimberly) Melton, of Boston, Massachusetts.  Mary Glenna is survived by eleven grandchildren: Marla Nash (Kurt) Johnston, Allison Snavely (Mike) Urso, Amy Snavely (Todd) Scheid, Ashley Snavely (Lex) Chotai, Andrea Melton, Johnathan (Rachel) Snavely, Hannah Melton (Nathan) Smith, David Melton, Sam (Taylor) Melton, Matthew (Rachel) Rowland Melton, Joshua Melton; 12 great grandchildren: Braden Urso, Macy Urso, Garrett Urso, Landon Scheid, Carson Scheid, Elliott Snavely, Brinley Scheid, Norah Snavely, Bentley Chotai, Jack Snavely, Zara Chotai, Xander Chotai

The family would like to extend their warmest and heart-felt gratitude to the staff of Solaris Healthcare and Wuestoff Hospice for care that went above and beyond all expectations to personal relationships that made a lasting impact and gave Mary Glenna comfort right up until her final moment on earth.

Family and friends are invited to services at Beckman Williamson Funeral Home – 5400 Village Drive, Rockledge Florida, 32955.

On Thursday July 28, 2022.  Viewing will begin at 10:00 A.M. with a funeral service following at 11:00 A.M.

A graveside service for Mary will be held, Friday July 29, 2022 at 2:00 P.M. At Greenlawn Memorial Gardens – 3600 North National, Springfield, MO 65803

In lieu of flowers, it was Mary Glenna’s request that donations be made to the Christian ministries being done by her children….

Global Baptist Training Foundation    www.globaltrain.org/donate/

Boston Baptist College     www.boston.edu/give