Etta M. Melton

Etta M. Melton, nee, Wagner, 92, of Belleville, Illinois, born Wednesday, January 28, 1931, in East Saint Louis, IL, passed away on Tuesday, January 23, 2024 at her residence in Belleville.

Etta lived a life of service. She taught Sunday School for decades at Westview Baptist Church and was actively involved in Westview’s Women’s Missionary Union (WMU) and adult choir. Etta worked with other dedicated volunteers to feed the less fortunate both on Saturday mornings and Tuesday evenings. She also volunteered with Gideon’s International, Girl Scouts & Belleville’s Interfaith Food Pantry.

Etta worked at PSOP for many years assisting citizens with making choices for their health care insurance needs. She received recognition for her dedication to PSOP and her clients.

Etta’s sense of adventure took her around the world from England to the Soviet Union to Costa Rica to Iceland. Her favorite country was China which she visited four times. During her last trip to China she lived her dream of feeding and caring for the pandas.

Etta was proud of all of her children. She will be dearly missed by her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren as well as all whose lives she touched.

She was preceded in death by her:

• Husband, Joel Martin Melton;
• Father, Henry J. Wagner
• Mother, Cecile A., nee Dale, Wagner;
• Brother, Ronald (Darlene) Wagner;
• Son-in-law, Jerry M. Davis;
• Grandson, Jon Michael Davis;
• Brothers-in-law:
  • Harold Melton
  • Vern Koester

Surviving are her:

• Children:
  • Jolene Davis of Collinsville, IL
  • Greg (Debbie) Melton of Benton, AR
  • Randy Melton of Belleville, IL
  • Melissa (Wally) Calhoun of Rincon, GA
  • Jill (Steve) Kennedy of Jacksonville, FL
• Grandchildren:
  • Julianne (Chris) Novich of Troy, IL
  • Jennifer (Jeremy) Brown of Pocahontas, IL
  • Joshua (Melissa) Davis of St. Louis, MO
  • Corey Melton of Benton, AR
  • Zachary Melton of Benton, AR
  • Wade Calhoun of Rincon, GA
  • Alex Calhoun of Rincon, GA
  • Brittany Kennedy of Denver, CO
  • Chad Kennedy of Jacksonville, FL
• Great grandchildren:
  • Jocelynn Novich
  • Aiden Novich
  • Max Davis
  • Emmett Davis
  • Simon Davis
• Sister, Marla Koester of Fairview Hgts., IL
• Sister-in-law, Joyce Melton
• Nieces, Nephews and cherished Dale cousins

Memorials: Memorials may be made to the Interfaith Food Pantry in Belleville or Belleville Area Humane Society.

Visitation: Visitation from 10:00am to 12:00 pm on Saturday, January 27, 2024 at Kurrus Funeral Home in Belleville, IL.

Funeral: Funeral services will be held at 12:00 pm on Saturday, January 27, 2024 at Kurrus Funeral Home, with Hector Gonzalez officiating. Interment will follow at Valhalla Gardens of Memory, Belleville, IL.

*Video Live Stream of the Service will be available HERE starting at 11:50 a.m.*