Melba Jean Kratz Salmon was born in Clarksville, IN on August 25, 1921. She spent her childhood by the Falls of the Ohio, a self-described River Rat. Melba was a lifelong member of the Ohio Falls Methodist Church.

She lived through the Great Flood of 1937, riding a rowboat to her cousins in Portland and staying there until her father, Charles Kratz, a master carpenter and machinist, rebuilt their home in Clarksville.

Post-high school graduation, she attended hair school in Downtown Louisville. She then opened her beauty shop, Melba Jean's Beauty Shop. Melba met Jack Salmon before his service in World War II. They were married when Jack returned from overseas and honeymooned in New Orleans, Louisiana, where Jack was stationed. Their daughter, Jean Ann Salmon, was born in 1946. Melba and Jack purchased their house in Sellersburg via the GI Bill. Their son, John Charles Salmon, was born in 1948. They owned and operated the Shell Service Station in Sellersburg.

Melba was a homemaker and a den mother to John's Cub Scout troupe. She was an exceptionally talented Seamstress and belonged to several bunco clubs and bowling leagues. During the Vietnam War, Melba worked as a bag seamstress at the Army Ammunition Plant in Charlestown. Melba and Jack owned and operated the Sweet Shop in Sellersburg, where the family worked. Jack passed away in 1968. After Jack's death, Melba took over his job as a contract carrier with a route that ran 200 miles per night. She worked this route with her son John, delivering the Courier-Journal. Post Vietnam War, she worked at the post office as a mail carrier. She worked her route in Louisville, Kentucky. Melba retired from the USPS at 65 years of age. Post-retirement, she was an active volunteer with Meals on Wheels at Clark Arms. Melba had a Courier-Journal paper route with her daughter Jean.

Melba leaves behind her daughter Jean Ann Salmon; her son John Charles Salmon; her daughter-in-law, Robbi Sue Staggs-Salmon; her three grandchildren, Margeaux Jean Salmon-Spring; her husband Patrick Thomas Joshua Spring, John Titus Salmon, and Charles Reese Salmon, and her four great-grandchildren, Jude Titus Staggs Salmon, Rain Geordan Reese Hopkins-Brock, Essa Diane Antoine, and Aerylin Lily Salmon, and her three great-great-grandchildren, Emery Parker Rain Salmon, Sabbath Jean-Michael Jude Brock, and Finnely Edward Glenn Salmon.

Today, we celebrate the life of an extraordinary human, Melba Jean Kratz Salmon. To say she was kind, caring, and talented feels like only scratching the surface of the vibrant and loving person she was.

Melba had a way of making every gathering feel special, every celebration warm and full of love. She was the consummate hostess and an impeccable decorator. Her home was where we would gather, a place of joy, laughter, and connection.

Her talent in fiber arts was remarkable—sewing entire outfits and crafting intricate quilts.

Melba Jean was sharp as a tack and quick-witted to boot. She never met a game of cards she didn't like, and her propensity for going out first in Rummy left us sometimes scrambling to keep up! Her humor was abundant and whip-smart, always leaving us smiling or laughing.

She was a joy to be around. Her presence brightened our days; her stories and laughter were a welcome light. We were fortunate to have her for as long as we did, and it's hard to imagine life without her. But we celebrate her remarkable spirit.

Melba taught us to be kind and generous. May we honor her memory by showing each other the same love and kindness she so freely gave to us. Let her legacy live on in the way we treat one another and in the light we bring to the world, just as she did.

We will miss her deeply, but we are so grateful to have had her in our lives.

Funeral services will be held at 12:00 P.M. on Tuesday, December 31, 2024 at the Garr Funeral Home (7806 Highway 311, Sellersburg, Indiana 47172) with interment to follow at Sellersburg Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Tuesday from 10:00 A.M. until the time of the service at the funeral home.