On May 12, 1938, a bouncing baby girl was born to Jessie Lee Ayers and Bertha Phelps in Midland, Texas. They named their new bundle of joy Melva Lee. The family moved to Sherman, Texas where she attended public schools. Melva accepted Christ at an early age. She served as a faithful member as a youth at Daniel Grey CME. She would later join Progressive Baptist Church where she was active in the Women Missionary Ministry and Choir. Melva then moved to Tulsa in 1991 where she became a faithful and devoted member of Paradise Baptist Church. There she served on the Culinary Ministry, was a member of A.L. Branch Circle and was a member of the choir where she inspired praise of songs.

With her loving family by her side, Melva dozed into the tranquil peace of eternal peace on Sunday morning, May 25, 2008 at 7:55 A.M. She was greeted at Heaven's gate by her mother and father Bertha & Jessie, a sister Moretta Estes, two brothers William "Bill" Ayers, and Presley "Bucky" Jones and a son, Ronald Brown.

She leaves to cherish a family that loved her dearly: a husband Billy Smith, Tulsa, OK., daughters; Sandra (Artie) Lee, Dallas, TX., Vicki (Michael) Riddick, Atlanta, GA., and Tonya (Kevin) Sims, Tulsa, OK., sons; Keith (Angela) Smith, Juan (Mary) Smith all of Atlanta, GA., Marcus Smith, Greenville, TX and Billy Smith, Munich Germany, sisters; Lola Craven and Lillie McLean, Sherman, TX., brothers; Medford Jones, Talmon Jones, San Antonio, TX., and Jessie Lee Ayers, Gilmer, TX., grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and a host of other relatives and friends.

Services for Mrs. Smith will be Saturday May 31, 2008 at Paradise Baptist Church. Viewing will be Friday from 10AM to 7PM. She will also have a visitation Sunday at Angelic Mortuary in Sherman, Texas, and a second service Monday June 2, 2008 at 11AM at Progressive Baptist Church in Sherman.