Melba Louise Logue was born to Alton and Ona Caroline (Norris) Logue on November 5th, 1926, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She departed this life on March 30th, 2012 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Melba attended kindergarten in Oklahoma City and then the family moved to Sayre, Oklahoma. There she attended 1st grade and part of 2nd grade. The family settled in Leedey, Oklahoma in 1934 where she finished her high school education in 1944. In 1939, her sister Beverly Jane Logue was born. "Baba" and her little "Sissy" were devoted sisters and life-long friends.

Melba was baptized into the General Assembly and the Church of the First Born on February 29th, 1948. She was an active member for many years, assisting with music programming for the children especially. She also played piano and arranged music for church services, weddings, and other activities.

Before and during World War II, Melba helped "Daddy" with his business in Leedey, the City Meat Market. Alton and Ona promised to send Melba to college at the war's end. Melba enrolled at the University of Oklahoma in 1946. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in Vocal Music Education in 1950. She continued her education and received a Master's Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Oklahoma in 1957.

Melba worked for the Oklahoma City Board of Education as an Elementary Vocal Traveling Music Teacher in several elementary schools. In the late 1950's and early 1960's, she had the unique opportunity to work with a group of elementary school teachers for the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority, OETA. This kind of teaching was in the beginning stages. Teachers, technicians, program directors, and camera personnel worked together to present lessons on television to students in their classrooms. Melba always said she was, "… simply in the right place in the right time to be part of this new approach to teaching."

On January 2nd, 1962, Melba married Wiley D. Britton, a cattleman from Leedey, Oklahoma. She continued teaching for OETA until the birth of their child, Ona Lou, on June 24th, 1966, who brought much joy to her parents and family. Melba moved to Moorewood, Oklahoma where Wiley and she enjoyed their daughter. She resumed teaching again in 1971 for the Leedey Schools. She taught music to grades 1 through 12 there until 1988, when she retired.

During her long career as an educator, Melba participated in various education organizations as member and officer. In the late 1950's Melba joined the Kappa Kappa Iota teacher's service organization. In 1961 Melba was invited to join Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, a professional honorary society of women educators. Here she assisted her chapter, Alpha Nu, in its many projects promoting excellence in education. She served as President in 1980 of the Dewey County Educational Association. Melba described her work with the National Education Association as some of her "most exciting professional growth experiences." She served as an Oklahoma delegate for the NEA in 1986 and 1987, attending the national conventions in Louisville, KY, and Los Angeles, CA, respectively. Melba was also voted Leedey School Teacher of the Year in 1974. She received the award for Dewey County Teacher of the Year that same year.

Melba did not slow down after retirement. She made quilts from the scraps of costumes from the Leedey School production of Oklahoma! and from blocks her grandmother made years before. She traveled to New York City, Boston, England, and Ireland with her daughter. She enjoyed traveling with Wiley as well to cattle sales and tours. In her later years she created many scrapbooks about her life and her family's life. These are valuable to all family members for their beauty and for their information.

Her parents, Alton and Ona Logue, and her closest friend, Carol Whitfield precede her in death. She is survived by her husband of 50 years, Wiley Britton; her daughter Ona Lou Britton-Spears and Ona's husband, Scott Spears; her sister, Beverly Holley; her nephew Brent Holley, and his children Allyson Holley and Benjamin Holley. She is also survived by her cousin Sherry Coleman, who took superior care of Melba in her final years. Many nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and former students mourn her passing.

A viewing is scheduled for Tuesday, April 3rd at Mercer-Adams Funeral Service, 3925 N. Asbury in Bethany from 6-8pm. The Oklahoma City memorial service will occur the next day, Wednesday, April 4th, at 9:30 am at the same location.

There will be a second service in the Leedey School auditorium the same day, Wednesday, April 4th at 3:30pm, with interment following at the Moorewood cemetery. Go to shawfuneralhome.net for complete information.

In lieu of flowers, friends may send donations to the Purdue Church of the First Born Building Fund, P. O Box 75131, Oklahoma City, OK 73147.