Person Page - 7000

     Melody Ann Merckling was born on January 8, 1947 at Columbus, Franklin Co., Ohio.¹ As of October 3, 1980,her married name was Gibbs.² She married Thomas Franklin Gibbs Jr., son of Thomas Franklin Gibbs Sr. and Wilmoth Emily Jane Whitlow, on October 3, 1980 at Wichita Co., Texas.^2,1 Melody Ann Merckling died on February 5, 2002 at Carlsbad, Eddy Co., New Mexico, at age 55.¹ She Melody Ann Gibbs, 55, died Merckling Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2002, at Carlsbad Medical Center. She is survived by her husband, 1Sgt. Thomas F. Gibbs Jr. (Retired) and countless loved ones. She touched everyone she knew and to list them all would be near impossible. She was born Jan. 8, 1947, in Columbus, Ohio, the daughter of Theus M. Merckling and the late Maurice L. Merckling. She was former resident of Morrow County. She was a Westerville High School graduate class of 1964. She was a lifelong member of the George L. Behrens Chapter 504, Order of the Eastern Star. As a girl, she was active in Grange and Jobs Daughter's. She married Thomas in 1980 and they traveled wherever the U.S. Army took them. She made every duty station home but felt the most comfortable in the desert and longed to return. In November 2001 that dream was fulfilled. Even though it was short time lived it was the happiest of her life. Hers is a wild magical spirit, she died exactly as she pleased and spent her life helping others. She had planned to start an all species rescue with her daughter within the next year. The plans for that rescue are still in the works and her spirit will live on with the help of her husband, daughter, Lehnanne, and son-in-law, Michael. on February 7, 2002.¹