Dr. Melvin Henry Stevens

Dr. Melvin Henry Stevens, 93, passed peacefully into the arms of his Lord on Friday, June 23, 2017, at his home in Natchitoches. Services are under the direction of Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 5-8 p.m. Monday, June 26, at the Crossroads, First United Methodist Church. A service celebrating his extraordinary life will be held at 2 p.m., Tuesday, June 27, at the Christian Outreach Center of Natchitoches with Rev. Carl Means officiating. Interment will follow the next day at Woodman Cemetery in DeKalb, Texas. Melvin Stevens was born October 17, 1923, in Bradley Arkansas. He was the first in his family to attend college and worked full time while in school to pay for his education. He earned an associate degree in 1944 from what is now Southern Arkansas University and completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Arkansas in 1948. Like most his age, Melvin was eager to serve his country when WWII broke out but was rejected from military enlistment due to medical issues. Devastated by the rejection, he resolved to help the war effort by going to work at an Army Ammunition plant near Texarkana. There he met the love of his life, his soul-mate and best friend, Ruth Ellen Walker. They married in 1945. Melvin was recruited to Northwestern State in 1962, where he taught Agriculture courses and published and presented numerous papers related to soils, crops, and agronomy. He also received his Ph.D. from LSU in 1971. Outside of teaching, Dr. Stevens marketed himself as an agriculture consultant to area farmers and had a thriving practice advising farmers on insect and weed control and land set-aside. He obtained a pilot license through Northwestern’s aviation program and shortly thereafter purchased a small plane. The plane allowed him to expand his consulting practice geographically to include the thousands of acres of rice farms to the south. Flying over so much farm land got Dr. Stevens interested in real estate. He soon had a Realtor's license and then his brokers' license. That lead to the creation of Stevens Realty, which he and his wife operated successfully for many years. Dr. Stevens retired from Northwestern State in December 1983. Though retired as a professor, he continued his consulting practice and the real estate business and began amassing a portfolio of rental property. He also became more involved in the land appraisal, eventually getting certified as a master appraiser. His timing could not have been better, as it was during that period of time that the state was acquiring land for the development of I-49. Dr. Stevens delighted in serving as an expert witness in determining the fair market value of farm land taken by the state. He took pride in helping protect the interests of farmers who were being pressured to take far less than their land was worth. Dr. Stevens was later recruited to be an instructor for training seminars conducted for people seeking appraisal certification. The seminars were normally a week long and were conducted in major cities throughout the country. Teaching these seminars gave him and his wife the opportunity and means to travel extensively in retirement, and they enjoyed many “working vacations” all over the country. Always an avid supporter of Northwestern State athletics. He spent his later years in full support of all of Northwestern’s teams and could usually be found in attendance at all Demon home games. Dr. Stevens greatest commitment was to his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Throughout his life, he actively worked to bring the message of Christ to the world. Dr. Stevens created and operated Open Door Ministries, a Christian outreach that provided free audio copies of the Bible as well as audio copies of sermons, Bible studies, and Christian teaching by well-known pastors and theologians. He served as the principal sponsor to a number of missionaries around the world. He was instrumental in organizing the first annual Natchitoches Prayer Breakfast. He also handed out countless Bibles to school children throughout the state as a member of The Gideons International, a body of believers dedicated to making the Word of God available to everyone. Dr. Stevens was an active member of Westside Baptist Church. He was also instrumental in the establishment of The Christian Outreach Center in Natchitoches and enjoyed an association with First United Methodist Church of Natchitoches, as well. It was not at all unusual for him to attend all three churches on Sunday. Dr. Stevens is survived by two daughters, Kay Knotts and husband Cecil, and Marsha Kirkland and husband Leon; his adopted daughter and caregiver, Brenda Sepulvado; four grandchildren – Laurie Richard (Marc), Leah Bernard (Carl Bennett), Becky Coffey (Steven), and Jeff Knotts; ten great-grandchildren – Heather Richard, Amber Richard, Megan Session, Colby Session, Andrew Bernard, Joshua Coffey, Anna Coffey, Zachary Coffey, Nigel Richard, and Finnly Richard; and seven great-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his loving wife of sixty-nine years, Ruth Walker Stevens; parents, Henry Richard Stevens and Julia Beatrice Littleton Stevens; sisters Pearl Brackman, Opal Cheney, Gladis Cheney, and brother Edward Stevens. Those honored to serve as pallbearers were Andrew Bernard, Joshua Coffey, Zachary Coffey, Jeff Knotts, Colby Session, and Lonnie Bradley. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to the Melvin and Ruth Stevens Helping Hands Scholarship, through the NSU Foundation, Office of Alumni and Development, Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, LA 71497. The family wishes to extend their sincere love, appreciation, and thanks to Melvin’s devoted and tireless caregivers, his granddaughter, Becky Coffey, and Brenda Sepulvado, who is now considered a member of our family. Also, to the wonderful staffs of Harmony Home Health and Hospice of Natchitoches, whose care, compassion and support have been a blessing throughout this difficult time.