Mellony Rose Stricklin

Mellony Rose Stricklin went home to meet her maker on Tuesday, December 16, 2025.

She was welcomed with open arms by her mother and father, Dollie and J.R.; met at the door with a drink by one of her best friends, Gerry; escorted to her seat at the table by her beloved cousin Mike; greeted with big hugs by Melba and all her aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends... and waved at from a distance by Ben and Ken.

She immediately demanded to speak to the manager to advocate for an eternal bottle of LTD to be made available at whatever heavenly watering hole she decided to adopt. She had her own mini bottle in her pink purse, just in case. Then she asked aloud if Temu delivered way up there.

Mellony was fiercely independent and had no problem making that clear. She loved her boys, Troy and Trent, with all her might. She fussed over her daughters-in-law, Stephanie and Vikki, like the daughters she never had. She thought her grandchildren-Zoe, Julian, William, and Ashlee-hung the moon and stars. She adored her great-grandchildren, Lawson and Alexander. She was happy right where she was, and she always looked forward to their visits. She quietly missed her brothers, Ron and Craig, from afar, and she always looked forward to long-distance conversations with her sister, Yvonne, and brother-in-law, Tom.

She wore her hair colored pink. She was always the craftiest person in the room. She loved being with her bar friends whenever she could. She didn't ask for much, but when she did, she wanted it yesterday. And if you're familiar with her signature quick and quiet exits from any function she attended, well-she got one last good one in.

Most of her philosophical responses to life aren't fit to spell out here, in good taste or otherwise. That said, we'll leave you with two she considered timeless: "No news is good news," and "We ain't drunk, we just drinkin'."

She is already missed, and we feel the void every moment. We love you, Mom, and we'll see you on the other side. As for the rest of us, we'll get together very soon and celebrate her life. That's exactly the way she wanted it.

If you listen close... that's not thunder rolling-that's the Bee Gees cranked up.