Melba Ruth Cardwell

Melba Ruth Cardwell, daughter of Roy Hatfield and Lena (Whitehead) Hatfield was born March 25, 1947, in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, and departed this life November 11, 2024, at Cox South Medical Center in Springfield, Missouri, at the age of 77 years, 7 months, and 16 days. 

She was born in Mammoth Spring where she graduated from Mammoth Spring High School in the Class of 1965. 

Melba was saved as a young girl as her parents faithfully took her to church.

On May 28, 1965, she was united in marriage to Don Cardwell and to this union 3 children were born.

In her spare time Melba enjoyed knitting and working crossword puzzles. She enjoyed knitting beautiful baby afghans for all the new babies. She was a wonderful seamstress and loved making beautiful dresses for her granddaughters. She loved trying new recipes and cooking wonderful meals for her family.

Melba loved Christmas and worked hard to make it as special as possible for her family. She went all out decorating her house for Christmas and would stay up all night cooking everyone’s favorite desserts, candies and her special red hot apple pies. She made birthdays extra special by cooking everyone their favorite meal. She looked forward to weekends when she could go shopping and go out to eat with her daughter. She loved her family most of all. She worked hard and would gladly do anything she could to help them in any way.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother William Hatfield, and infant brother James Dudley Hatfield. 

Melba is survived by her husband, Don; son, Perry Cardwell; daughter, Angie Cardwell; and son, Ronnie Cardwell and wife, Angel, all of Seymour, Missouri; grandchildren, Bowdrie Cardwell and wife, Mindy, Brandon Cardwell and wife, Jessica, Brianna Cottrell and husband, Johnny, Lauren Gourley and husband, Clay, and Lyla Cardwell; great-grandchildren, Beckham, Ari, Sullivan, Bella, Eva, and Harlan; other relatives and many friends.

Melba was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and a caring neighbor and friend. We celebrate her life and have many wonderful memories that we will always cherish.