Obituary of Melba Kathryn Crank Galloway

Funeral Services for Melba Kathryn Crank Galloway of Elsberry, MO will be held at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, July 14, 2016 at the Elsberry United Methodist Church in Elsberry. Rev. Paul Garven, church pastor, and Rev. Sam Byers, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Elsberry, will officiate with burial in the Elsberry City Cemetery. Serving as pallbearers will be Adam Sherman, Eric Reed, Jimmy Lovelace, Bryan Collins, Rob Lovelace and Ronnie Vaughn, Jr. Honorary pallbearers will be Mike Parker, Larry Cordsiemon, Jimmy Jeans, Gil Dameron and Dale Galloway. Melba, 96 , passed away Saturday morning, July 9, 2016 at the Elsberry Health Care Center near Elsberry. Born August 17, 1919 near Winfield, MO, she was the fifth of eight children born to John Will and Ida Sophie Woodson Kelly. Melba was united in marriage on June 10, 1939 in Bowling Green, MO to Thomas Gibson Crank. To this union, two children were born: Gary Thomas and Kathryn Lyn. Melba and Tommy owned and operated a popular restaurant, “The Ivy Room” in Elsberry for many years. They later purchased Crank’s Center Market, also in Elsberry. Melba was a longtime member of the First Baptist Church of Elsberry. She was a positive and fun-loving presence to family, friends and acquaintances. Melba enjoyed entertaining, playing bridge and quilting. Following Tommy’s death in 1976, Melba was married to Ralph Downing “Trax” Galloway in Elsberry on January 1, 1984. With this marriage, Melba gained two more daughters: Diane and Nena. She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Ida Kelly; her first husband, Tommy Crank; their son, Gary Thomas Crank; her second husband, Ralph “Trax” Galloway; one grandson, Denis Potts; one son-in-law, Joe Blondheim; two brothers: Kenneth Kelly and Cecil Kelly; and three sisters: Opal Lovelace, Ima Dean LaRue and Lois West. Survivors include three daughters: Kathryn “Kathy” Crank of Elsberry, Diane Galloway of Tucson, AZ and Nena Galloway Potts and her husband, Keith, of Rogersville, MO; one granddaughter, Sara Potts of Rogersville; and one great-grandson, Harlan Potts Rae. In addition, Melba also leaves two sisters: Doris Cannon and Ida Mae Simpson; many other relatives and numerous friends. Visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. until the time of funeral service at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, July 14, 2016 at the Elsberry United Methodist Church. Memorials may be made to the Highland Prairie Cemetery Association (or) Joseph R. Palmer Family Memorial Library in care of Carter-Ricks Funeral Home, 107 S. 5th Street; Elsberry, MO 63343.