Ms. Melba Mills

Obituary Melba Deloris Samuels Mills was born in Chicago, Illinois to William Burl Samuels, Jr. and Elizabeth Angela Givens Samuels on October 18, 1934. Melba was educated in Joplin, Missouri at Lincoln Elementary and Lincoln High School before schools in that district were racially integrated. Later she met and married Emmitt Marshall Mills when he was stationed at Ft. Crowder in Neosho, Missouri, in the United states Army. She later enrolled and became a student at Franklin Technical School of LPN nursing and received her diploma in nursing in 1964. Her first job after finishing her nurses’ training was in Obstetrics as scrub-nurse in assisting doctors to deliver babies in Joplin, Missouri. After moving to Kansas City, she worked in medical hospitals and one mental hospital, two nursing homes as well as private duty nursing in the Plaza community. Following seventeen years of nursing, Melba worked as a switchboard operator at Crown Center Hotel for five years, a job where her speaking voice was used consistently on the phone as well as on the public address system of the hotel for paging. She derived much pleasure from it because it was another form of caring for people. Melba and Emmitt have one daughter, Vicky Joann, and one son, Clifford Henry. Emmitt preceded her in death in November of 1995. They were married forty years. Her mother, father, one daughter, three sisters and six brothers also preceded her in death. Melba sang in four choirs: The Church Choir, the Centennial Choir, the Majestic Choir and the Maranatha Choir at Pleasant Green Missionary Baptist Church and did solo singing recitals at Pleasant Green for the Wimodausis Ministry for which she designed and made all of her formal wearing apparel. She served on the Usher Board for eight years and made uniforms for the usher group number 3. She made dresses along with other seamstresses for different choirs and made Christmas costumes as well. The wine-colored cloth lined offering baskets were lined by Melba and she in past times fashioned the pulpit flowers in the large brass pulpit vessels. She also worked as Church Secretary and Pastor’s private secretary for eight years. Melba loved working in the church and loved taking care of people. Melba loved music and praised God for creating it. She was once a member of the Wimodausis Ministry under the leadership of Sister Marcel Ragan. She was a member of the Health Ministry and the Fine Arts Ministry. Melba is the author of many books of various genres. She wrote scores of poetries and shared many pieces of the poetry works with the church, and in various venues of interest. She was entered into the National Library of Poetry in 1992 and one of her poetry pieces, The Seasons, was featured in an Anthology entitled A View from The Edge. Melba is also the author of eleven children’s manuscripts. She composed and wrote mostly to glorify God and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Melba’s Request: Dear Children, Grandchildren, Great Grandchildren, Great Great Grandchildren, relatives and friends; Rejoice in the LORD! … and please know that I have gone to be with Jesus forever, where joy and happiness is ever present! Hallelujah!! Written 7/1/2017 Melba leaves to cherish her memories: children, Vicky Samuels and Clifford Mills; grandchildren, Rebeca Lawrence, Sarah Curry, Christian Garrett, Jamilliah Brown, Venus Mills and Jesse Stehr; Great grandchildren, Tauren Carter, Markus Thomas, Quinterra Glover, Tayven Carter, Sierra Curry, Javeion Bolton, Syncere Sisay, Aalyiah Stehr and Braya Stehr; great-great grandchildren, Gaylan Glover, III, LaMyah Glover, India Carter, King Thomas and Elias Glover; nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, March 27, 2021, 11:00am at Pleasant Green Missionary Baptist Church. Interment Brooking Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9:00am-11:00am at the church. Service conducted by Lawrence A. Jones & Sons Funeral Chapel. Condolences may be shared on our website. Due to COVID-19, social distancing and face coverings will be enforced. Temperature check for all guest(s). To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Ms. Melba Mills, please visit our floral store. Read More

Ms. Melba Mills

October 18, 1934 - March 15, 2021