Oleta (Naylor) Melton

Oleta (Naylor) Melton passed away from this life on Monday, June 24, 2024.  

She was born on September 10, 1937 in Idabell, OK to the parents of Cleave and Maggie (West) Naylor.  She was raised there with 3 brothers and 4 sisters.  She loved working in the garden with her family, going to church on Sundays, and fussing over her baby brother.  

When Oleta grew up, she married Bill Melton on September 22, 1956.  They had 3 children – Donna, Joe, and Timmy.  Oleta was a fierce mom.  She always made sure her kids knew she loved them, and that they always had what they needed. 

Oleta went to work at Demco, where she made many life-long friends who became immediate family, as well.  As her kids got older and had families of their own, Oleta made sure that they stayed close.  She loved those grandbabies and when their parents went off to work she dedicated her time to raising them, too.  She often hosted Sunday dinners where everyone gathered and couldn’t wait to see if she was making chicken spaghetti, deer steaks, or her famous open-faced enchiladas.  Oleta had a lovely singing voice, and after dinner she would gather up a grandbaby, great grandbaby, or a great-great grandbaby and head out to her porch swing.  She would belt out the most beautiful gospel songs and those babies would snuggle in her arms and go right off to sleep.  As those babies grew and had families of their own, those dinners were harder to organize, but they always knew momma or granny would be thrilled for them to come over anytime!  Later in life, Oleta thoroughly enjoyed meeting her Demco family for a breakfast reunion, where they couldn’t wait to hear about the newest baby in the family or what one of her kids were up to.  She also looked forward to her Fridays with Almeta at Janet’s beauty shop, where they, too couldn’t wait for Oleta’s latest news.  She usually turned the beauty shop into a casino trip where she just wanted to stop by “for just twenty dollars”!  Oleta lived a beautiful life where she loved her family, friends, and Jesus.  If you close your eyes for a minute, and think of an adventure you shared with Oleta, it most definitely will bring a smile to your face.

Oleta Melton is preceded in death by her parents, Cleave and Maggie Naylor, husband, Bill Melton, her children, Donna Jones and Timmy Melton, her daughter-in-law, Jerri Melton, and her sisters and brothers, Norman Naylor, Billy Naylor, Vivian Hall, Cleo Brewer, and Almeta Sudik. 

She is survived by her son Joe Melton and wife Lanie of Shawnee, her son-in-law, Keith Jones of Canadian, her sister, Karen Teurman of Pauls Valley, her brother Ricky Naylor and wife Cindi of Norman, her grandchildren, Bryan Jones and wife Bree of McLoud, Zeke Melton and wife Shan, of Tecumseh, Cameron Melton of Norman, Misti Miller and husband Terry of Little Axe, Brock Jones and wife Holli of Tupelo, Billy Jack Mitchell and wife KiraMay of Macomb, Dana Browning and husband Dallas of Shawnee, and numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren.

Visitation will be 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Thursday, June 27, 2024 at Cooper Funeral Home and continue through service time. Service will be 1:00 p.m., Friday, June 28, 2024 at Cooper Funeral Home Chapel with Reverend David Flanary of 1st Christian Church of Idabel, Oklahoma officiating. Burial will follow at Wanette Cemetery under the direction of Cooper Funeral Home of Tecumseh.