Kathy Melson, who died on June 25, 2025 , at age 67, was an unforgettable person even if you crossed paths with her only briefly.

If she had an interest in something, she would read everything she could find about that topic. She read all of the Little House on the Prairie books numerous times and could tell you all about Laura Ingalls Wilder. Archie comic books were her favorites. She had a huge collection. While no one would ever consider her well-worn comic books collectors items, they were valuable to her. During her George and Martha Washington phase, she got to visit Mt. Vernon. She stumped a clearly knowledgeable tour guide with her very serious question: “Where is the cherry tree?” He was so rattled, he couldn’t come up with an answer. Kathy was seriously disappointed.

She loved the “Lawrence Welk Show.” If there was an award for the person who had watched that show the most often, Kathy would be in the running for it.

She was born on January 6, 1958, in Statesville to Bill and Louise Melson. Bill taught her to love his favorite food, watermelon, which for some reason she had stubbornly refused to try. She was a toddler and he was feeding her ice cream. He snuck in a spoonful of watermelon. She was startled at first but then her face broke into a smile and she never refused another piece of watermelon again. Louise taught her to read and she read voraciously until her eyes gave out and she had to rely on books on tape.

She attended Special Education classes in the Statesville Public Schools, first at Mulberry Elementary and then at Northview Elementary. She didn’t talk a lot, but when she did she amazed her teachers with her breadth of knowledge.

She spent about half of her life in Statesville. The other half was in the care of RHA Services. She thrived for many years at the Boxwood Group Home near Mocksville and attended the sheltered workshop in nearby Cleveland. Donald, a fellow workshop participant who lived at a different group home, asked Bill for Kathy’s hand in marriage. Bill had the tough job turning him down. Kathy and Donald remained close friends for many years. Mentioning his name brought a smile to her face.

One of her favorite activities at Boxwood was attending the Salisbury Christmas Parade. She wore a Santa hat through the season and never questioned whether Santa, Mrs. Claus, the elves, and the reindeer really existed.

The staff at Boxwood loved her during her 32-year residency. They smiled at her stubbornness and appreciated the things she could tell them. The staff was simply the best, especially her case managers.

When she moved to the Gatewood Intermediate Care facility in Greensboro in October of last year, the staff treated her in much the same way as at Boxwood and loved her unique take on the world. The Melson family will be forever grateful for the care and love she knew at both homes. There was never any question in their minds that she was well cared for.

Every now and then, her family members would run into people who had known Kathy. While her sister Gail was shopping at a school supply store in downtown Salisbury a number of years ago, the woman behind the counter looked at her credit card and asked if she was related to Kathy Melson. It turned out that she had been in Sunday School classes with Kathy at First Baptist Church in Statesville. Knowing Kathy had inspired her to become a Special Education teacher. Kathy’s family will never know how many people had similar kinds of stories about Kathy, but they’re sure there were more than they’ll ever know.

Survivors include her brother Ted Melson and his wife Laurel Melson; her sister Gail Melson and her husband Eric Brenner; three nieces, two nephews, four grand nieces, and two grand nephews.

A private service will be held in the future. Kathy will be buried in Delaware with her parents.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Kathy’s name can be made to: The Arc of NC https://www.tmcfunding.com/funds/katherine-bunting-melson/13724/

Nicholson Funeral Home is serving the family.