Melba “Newt” Newton, RN
Melba Maxine Wooldridge Newton ended her life’s journey in Kansas City, Missouri, on November 18, 2011. The second child of Bert and Martha Magnolia Wiley Wooldridge, she was born August 31, 1915.
Newt resided for 89 years in the Springfield area. She graduated from Central High School in 1935 and Burge Hospital School of Nursing in 1938. She was the head nurse on First Medical at Burge before becoming the office nurse for Lurie, Auner, Holmes, and Kissell in 1960.
Newt loved music, dancing, reading, traveling, and quilting. One of her earliest memories was of her Great Uncle Pat’s Saturday night dances in his garage. A buggy and early auto mechanic, he would sweep her up into his arms and twirl her around the floor. She took dancing lessons with her husband at the Walker School of Dance and happily recalled dancing with friends on warm summer evenings before World War II.
Some of her fondest memories were going outside at Robertson School to see her first airplane; her brother making the family’s first radio using coal and found parts; the smell of her mother’s fresh bread donuts as she headed home from school; earning a sport’s letter at Pipkin Junior High; rooting for Springfield’s minor league baseball team on ladies’ day; and going to Princess Theater Saturday matinees.
Newt liked to travel and particularly enjoyed Maine and the southwest. In appreciation of her hard work, the doctors she worked for sent her on a trip to Hawaii. Newt moved to Kansas City in 2004 and enjoyed attending Harriman-Jewell concerts and visiting the Kauffman Garden.
Newt married Joe Newton on July 17, 1939. She is survived by two daughters, Jacquelyn Smith (JB) of Oklahoma City and Nancy Hunt of Kansas City, granddaughter Gina (Randy) Henderson, great-grandson Zac Henderson, and great-great-granddaughter Keely. She was preceded in death by her sister Rosine Druzak, brother Hal Wooldridge, grandson Mark Comstock and son-in-law Dennis Hunt.
Newt, the product of the depression, was a smart, funny, independent woman, who was an excellent mother and made sacrifices so that her children had easier, happier lives.
Services will be held at 10:00 a.m., November 23, 2011 in Greenlawn Funeral Home North, 3506 N. National. Donate to your favorite charity in lieu of flowers.