Lucile Birmingham Melcher, a native Houstonian frequently honored for supporting charitable causes and community activism, died at home Wednesday. She was 92.
"She was the epitome of a true, true Texas woman," said Edna Meyer-Nelson, a businesswoman and lifelong best friend of Melcher's daughter, Yvonne, who was holding her mother's hand when she died.
Melcher made top bids for youngsters' animals at the Houston Livestock Show, funded numerous scholarships, supported Tourette's syndrome research and gave to the University of Houston for public television.
She and her husband, LeRoy, who died in 1999, were married for 64 years.
"We met at Sunday school," Melcher wrote several months ago. "He was tall, skinny, ugly and totally uninteresting."
However, by age 17, "LeRoy had improved remarkably. He was 6-foot-1 and 1/2, still thin, an excellent dancer, and owned his very own brand new Ford roadster with a rumble seat."
After they married in 1935, Melcher said, her grandfather "suggested some part of whatever we earned in Houston from opportunities afforded us should be returned to benefit someone or some need. And turning to me, he said, `You should give your part.'
The couple followed his advice, beginning with "very small amounts," Melcher wrote, and it caused them "to think about how much more we appreciate what life in Houston had brought us: The greatest gift was opportunities."
Those opportunities included the UtoteM Food Store chain that LeRoy Melcher expanded from 10 stores to more than 1,000 before selling it.
His wife's interests included raising registered Angus cattle on her ranch in Chappell Hill.
The Melchers had two sons, LeRoy Jr., who died in 1981, and Frank, who died in 1993.
In addition to her daughter, survivors include seven grandsons, a granddaughter and 13 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 3 p.m. Monday at Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering.
Houston Chronicle
Thursday, May 6, 2004
"She was the epitome of a true, true Texas woman," said Edna Meyer-Nelson, a businesswoman and lifelong best friend of Melcher's daughter, Yvonne, who was holding her mother's hand when she died.
Melcher made top bids for youngsters' animals at the Houston Livestock Show, funded numerous scholarships, supported Tourette's syndrome research and gave to the University of Houston for public television.
She and her husband, LeRoy, who died in 1999, were married for 64 years.
"We met at Sunday school," Melcher wrote several months ago. "He was tall, skinny, ugly and totally uninteresting."
However, by age 17, "LeRoy had improved remarkably. He was 6-foot-1 and 1/2, still thin, an excellent dancer, and owned his very own brand new Ford roadster with a rumble seat."
After they married in 1935, Melcher said, her grandfather "suggested some part of whatever we earned in Houston from opportunities afforded us should be returned to benefit someone or some need. And turning to me, he said, `You should give your part.'
The couple followed his advice, beginning with "very small amounts," Melcher wrote, and it caused them "to think about how much more we appreciate what life in Houston had brought us: The greatest gift was opportunities."
Those opportunities included the UtoteM Food Store chain that LeRoy Melcher expanded from 10 stores to more than 1,000 before selling it.
His wife's interests included raising registered Angus cattle on her ranch in Chappell Hill.
The Melchers had two sons, LeRoy Jr., who died in 1981, and Frank, who died in 1993.
In addition to her daughter, survivors include seven grandsons, a granddaughter and 13 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 3 p.m. Monday at Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering.
Houston Chronicle
Thursday, May 6, 2004
Lucile Birmingham Melcher, a native Houstonian frequently honored for supporting charitable causes and community activism, died at home Wednesday. She was 92.
"She was the epitome of a true, true Texas woman," said Edna Meyer-Nelson, a businesswoman and lifelong best friend of Melcher's daughter, Yvonne, who was holding her mother's hand when she died.
Melcher made top bids for youngsters' animals at the Houston Livestock Show, funded numerous scholarships, supported Tourette's syndrome research and gave to the University of Houston for public television.
She and her husband, LeRoy, who died in 1999, were married for 64 years.
"We met at Sunday school," Melcher wrote several months ago. "He was tall, skinny, ugly and totally uninteresting."
However, by age 17, "LeRoy had improved remarkably. He was 6-foot-1 and 1/2, still thin, an excellent dancer, and owned his very own brand new Ford roadster with a rumble seat."
After they married in 1935, Melcher said, her grandfather "suggested some part of whatever we earned in Houston from opportunities afforded us should be returned to benefit someone or some need. And turning to me, he said, `You should give your part.'
The couple followed his advice, beginning with "very small amounts," Melcher wrote, and it caused them "to think about how much more we appreciate what life in Houston had brought us: The greatest gift was opportunities."
Those opportunities included the UtoteM Food Store chain that LeRoy Melcher expanded from 10 stores to more than 1,000 before selling it.
His wife's interests included raising registered Angus cattle on her ranch in Chappell Hill.
The Melchers had two sons, LeRoy Jr., who died in 1981, and Frank, who died in 1993.
In addition to her daughter, survivors include seven grandsons, a granddaughter and 13 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 3 p.m. Monday at Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering.
Houston Chronicle
Thursday, May 6, 2004
"She was the epitome of a true, true Texas woman," said Edna Meyer-Nelson, a businesswoman and lifelong best friend of Melcher's daughter, Yvonne, who was holding her mother's hand when she died.
Melcher made top bids for youngsters' animals at the Houston Livestock Show, funded numerous scholarships, supported Tourette's syndrome research and gave to the University of Houston for public television.
She and her husband, LeRoy, who died in 1999, were married for 64 years.
"We met at Sunday school," Melcher wrote several months ago. "He was tall, skinny, ugly and totally uninteresting."
However, by age 17, "LeRoy had improved remarkably. He was 6-foot-1 and 1/2, still thin, an excellent dancer, and owned his very own brand new Ford roadster with a rumble seat."
After they married in 1935, Melcher said, her grandfather "suggested some part of whatever we earned in Houston from opportunities afforded us should be returned to benefit someone or some need. And turning to me, he said, `You should give your part.'
The couple followed his advice, beginning with "very small amounts," Melcher wrote, and it caused them "to think about how much more we appreciate what life in Houston had brought us: The greatest gift was opportunities."
Those opportunities included the UtoteM Food Store chain that LeRoy Melcher expanded from 10 stores to more than 1,000 before selling it.
His wife's interests included raising registered Angus cattle on her ranch in Chappell Hill.
The Melchers had two sons, LeRoy Jr., who died in 1981, and Frank, who died in 1993.
In addition to her daughter, survivors include seven grandsons, a granddaughter and 13 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 3 p.m. Monday at Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering.
Houston Chronicle
Thursday, May 6, 2004
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