Linda Melvin

Linda Ree Melvin, 79, lover of life, family, dancing, laughter and card playing, passed away at the Bloomfield Care Center on Thursday, January 14, 2021, after a long battle with dementia. She was a force of nature: fiercely devoted to her family and friends, smart and competitive, thoughtful and kind, hard-working, a master hostess, and - to those who loved her most – the best wife, mother, and grandmother to walk the earth. Linda Kerby was born in Coatsville, Missouri to Wilma Weldon and Gordon Kerby on May 5, 1941. The eldest of five children, she loved playing basketball, worked hard at home on the farm and in school, and graduated as the salutatorian of her high school class. She met and dated Phil Melvin while in high school and they married on June 7, 1959, shortly after her graduation. They would remain married for 61 years. From their early days together as a young couple, Phil and Linda would hop in the car and take family vacations around the country, creating memories for themselves and their four children that would last lifetimes. At home, Linda managed the farm’s finances, helped with homework, and always went the extra mile to make birthdays and holidays special. Her ability to prepare delicious holiday feasts for 20 or more people with ease was legendary As soon as her youngest child was in school, Linda embarked on her professional career, beginning as secretary of the Bloomfield Christian Church. She then worked as a legal secretary & tax specialist at the Ball law offices and then at the Richardson law offices in Bloomfield, Iowa. She came into her own professionally as a paralegal & tax specialist with Osborn, Bauerle & Milani in Ottumwa, Iowa. Her reputation for meticulous, articulate work earned her the respect of attorneys and judges throughout southeastern Iowa. In retirement, Linda and Phil enjoyed traveling, especially to their winter getaway in Mesa, Arizona, where they had many friends and fun times over the years. Linda honed her card playing skills there on many other unsuspecting retirees. Linda is survived by her husband, Philip, two siblings, Michael Kerby and Joyce Seager, her four children, Teresa (Glen) Adams, Robert (Pamela) Melvin, Tammy (Michael Morris) Miller, and Joe (Kevin Hunt) Melvin, three grandchildren, Jessica (Adam) Hootman, Nicholas (Mari) Melvin, and Levi (Emily) Miller, and six great-grandchildren. Linda was preceded in death by her parents, Wilma and Gordon Kerby, and two of her sisters, Nancy Gordon and Karen May. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Bloomfield Christian Church or Davis County Dollars for Scholars. A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 26, 2021 at the Bloomfield Christian Church. Burial will follow at the IOOF Cemetery. Following burial, a lunch will be held at the Bloomfield Christian Church.

Linda Melvin

May 5, 1941 - January 14, 2021