Melba Sample

A memorial service to celebrate the life of Melba Breedlove Sample, 86, of Lubbock will be at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 30, 2010 at Sanders Memorial Chapel with Rev. John Ballard officiating. Interment will be in the Dallas-Ft. Worth National Cemetery. She died on Dec. 25, 2010 at her home.

Melba was born in Dallas, TX on March 3, 1924, but grew up in Honey Grove, TX where she graduated from Honey Grove High School in 1941. Her parents were Ernest and Eunice Breedlove. In 1945, she received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of North Texas. She was employed as a research technician at Texas A&M and taught science and math in junior high school on the island of Guam and in Lubbock.

On November 23, 1946, she married Reuben A. Sample, a career Air Force officer who preceded her in death. She was active in Family Services, an Air Force family support group until his retirement in 1975, when they moved to Lubbock.

Melba taught Sunday School for almost fifty years in both the US and overseas and was active in missions work on local, associational and state levels. She was a member of First Baptist Church and the Downtown Bible Class in Lubbock.

Melba is survived by two daughters, Dorcas Jenkins and husband Bob of Washington, TX, and Deborah Sample of Lubbock; a son, Ben Sample and wife Barbara of Roswell, GA; three grandchildren, Amy Oeler and husband Jeff (Pittsburgh, PA), Matt Sample (Boston, MA), and Dane Jenkins (Houston, TX); and two great grandchildren, Jake Sample and Avery Oeler (Pittsburgh, PA).

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorials be made to the Downtown Bible Class, c/o First Baptist Church, 2201 Broadway Ave, Lubbock, TX 79401.