Fortified with the Sacraments of Holy Mother Church on Saturday, January 11th, 2025.
Beloved wife of the late Anthony “Tony” Melenbrink; loving mother of Glenn (Jean) Melenbrink; adoring grandmother of Vic (Andee) Melenbrink, Andrew (Katie) Melenbrink, Beth (Mitch) Lansford, and Scott (Hannah) Melenbrink; cherished great grandmother of Katie, Claire, Tucker, Lucas, Anna, Caroline, Benjamin, Vaughn, Elle, Dean, Jack, Quinn, Nashton, and Joseph; our dear sister-in-law, aunt, great aunt, great-great aunt, cousin, and friend to many.
Fran was raised in Wilhelmina, MO, born in 1933, the youngest of seven children. She married Tony (also from Wilhelmina) in 1952. They moved to a home in High Ridge in 1956 and lived there for 57 years. As very active parishioners at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, they had many good memories of their years in High Ridge. More recently, they lived at Cedarhurst Senior Living in south St. Louis County. She will be missed by her friends and the caring workers at Cedarhurst.
Tony and Fran always loved music. Fran played the piano, accordion, organ, and upright bass while Tony played the fiddle, guitar, mandolin and harmonica at blue grass festivals around the US. They loved playing music with family and friends whenever they had the chance and would also entertain at various nursing homes. For many decades, Fran volunteered as church organist at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church. As organist for her parish as a teenager, music was in her soul.
Fran was a loving person and was very close to her parents, siblings and many relatives. As a young girl she had a soft spot in her heart for her farm dogs and horses. Recently she made it a point to come to annual family reunions, even if she wasn’t feeling all that great, because they meant a lot to her.
Fran and Tony also enjoyed traveling and toured the US (visiting 48 of 50 states) by car, Winnebago and van (and plane or train now and then). When not playing music, Fran was often taking care of her flowers and plants, and the occasional dog or cat that they sometimes had. Fran and Tony were very devout Catholics, and Fran was especially devoted to Our Lady of Fatima and would often say the rosary several times a day.
And now, after 91 years on this earth, she has gone to her heavenly home and will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
SERVICES: Visitation at KUTIS AFFTON CHAPEL (10151 Gravois Rd., 63123) on Sunday, January 19th from 4:00 – 7:00 PM. Funeral Mass on Monday at 10:00 AM at Assumption Catholic Church (4725 Mattis Rd., 63128). Interment at Resurrection Cemetery.
Hi, this is Jim Crowley. My mother was Margie Fiser.I’ve been keeping in contact with Fran for about the last 10 years or so.. usually by phone and Fiser family reunions. She was always enjoyable to talk with, lots of family information and laughs.
I’ll miss talking to her and seeing her at the reunions.
I offer my sincere condolences to your family.
Once one got to know Fran, you got to see the depth of her strong, religious faith. Because of her promition of the rosary as a daily prayer, I began praying it again. And we had many discussions regarding God’s works in us.
She had a dour sense of humor, often poking fun at herself. I will miss her.