Melba Gladys Free

A service to remember the life of Mrs. Melba Free will be at 12 noon Friday, May 30, 2014 at First Baptist Church of Natchitoches with Bro. Chad Mills and Bro. Tommy Rush officiating. Interment will follow at Provencal Cemetery, Provencal, LA. The family will receive friends from 10 am until service time on Friday the 30th at First Baptist Church of Natchitoches. Mrs. Free, 89 years of age, passed away Monday, May 26, 2014 in Shreveport, LA. She was born December 24, 1924 to William and Alice (Leggett) Haley in Hicks, LA. Melba sold World Book Encyclopedias, but her true passion was being a wife and mother and taking care of her family. She was a member of First Baptist Church Natchitoches, a member of FBC Natchitoches’ By Faith Sunday School class, Garden Club of Natchitoches, South Cane River Homemakers Club, area manager for World Book/Child Craft International, Chaplain for Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary, she served as commissioner in charge of the voting precincts for many years in Natchitoches Parish, and she hosted the Free Singers for many years in her home. In 2013, she won Most Beautiful at the Guest Care at Spring Lake. She was preceded in death by her parents, her first husband, Ezra McKee; second husband of 57 years, Elmer “Bud” Free; a son, Chris Free; as well as 8 siblings. Those left to cherish her memory include her children Edsel McKee and wife Patricia of Natchitoches, Dee Gamble and husband Dr. D.E. Gamble of Shreveport, and Dennis Free of Bossier City; grandchildren Lisa McKee Burns and husband Chris of Benton, Kevin McKee of Metairie, and Lara Travis Deupree of Shreveport; great-grandchildren, Chandler and Emmalyn Burns, Kylie McKee, and Grace Deupree; and many nieces and nephews. Those honored to serve as pallbearers include: Kevin McKee, Chris Burns, John Howell, Steve Traxler, Monty Traxler and Dennis Free. The family wishes to thank Guest Care at Spring Lake, Gamble Guest Care, and Gamble Hospice for the last eight years of love and care of Mrs. Free. In lieu of flowers the family would ask that a donation be made in her memory to Autism speaks, 1 East 33rd Street 4th Floor, New York, NY 10016 or http://www.autismspeaks.org/, or Alzheimer's Foundation of America, 322 Eighth Ave., 7th fl., New York, NY 10001 or http://www.alzfdn.org/ContributetoAFA/makeadonation.html.