After 95 years, eight months and eight days on this Earth, Lucille was tired and ready to go home. Lucille Cecilia Johnson Melton died January 24, 2023, encircled by family and a window view of the yard she loved. She was born May 16, 1927 in Knottsville, Kentucky to the late Timothy and Hilda Millay Johnson.
Lucille was a graduate of St. William High School and a member of St. Lawrence Catholic Church. She married William Carl “K.O.” Melton and work relocated them to Iowa and then Northern Indiana, where they raised their family of eleven children. Retirement brought them back to their hometown where K.O. died on October 2, 1984. A widow for 39 years, Lucille was strong and independent. She was quiet and soft spoken unless she was watching her favorite sports teams, the Kentucky Wildcats, Chicago Bulls or the Chicago White Sox, then all bets were off. She also enjoyed quilting, Bingo, gardening, and Elvis.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sons, Bill Melton and Duane Melton; grandson, Carl Lanham; son-in-law, Pat Borns; brothers, Virgil, Paul, John, Bobby, and Joe Johnson; and her sisters, Carmel Head and Charlesetta Pence. She was the last of her siblings to leave; what a wonderful reunion it will be.
She is survived by her sons, Pat Melton (Nancy) of Chesterton, IN, Tom Melton (Jenny) and Chris Melton (Carrie), both of Valparaiso, IN; Joe Melton (Sue) of Whitesville and Mickey Melton of Knottsville; daughters, Jay Borns of Valparaiso, IN, Karen Smith of Knottsville, Annette Walters (Ronnie) of Wanatah, IN and Gail Lanham of Knottsville; 31 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; daughter-in-law, Jan Melton of Valparaiso, IN; and sisters-in-law, Edith Johnson of Knottsville and Bernadette Melton of Owensboro.
A funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday, January 28, 2023 at St. Lawrence Catholic Church. Burial will follow at St. Lawrence Cemetery. Visitation is from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday with prayers at 6 p.m. at Cecil Funeral Home, Whitesville and from 9 a.m. until the time of Mass on Saturday at the church.
Expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations to Mary Carrico Catholic School, 9546 KY 144, Philpot, KY 42366.