Celebrating the life of Melba Dodson

Dear friends, family, and loved ones of Melba Dodson,

It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing the passing of Melba Dodson. For those of you that knew Melba, you knew she was the true definition of a strong warrior woman. Melba fought till the very end and passed peacefully in her sleep. God knew that it was her time, but we did not think it was the end for us just yet.

For those of you who did not know Melba, aka "Shirley," She was born and raised in the small town in Saint Martinville, Louisiana. She met her husband in Louisiana, and they both moved to South Central, Los Angeles. She gave birth to two beautiful twins (Ronald and Donald) and had the challenge of raising them all by herself when they turned 1 year old. Throughout her life, she took on the role of both a mother and a father and did an amazing job of raising two boys in South Central LA who graduated from high school and started a family of their own. No matter what life threw at Melba, she entered every room with grace, beauty, style, and a smile that would instantly warm your heart.

She was selfless and gave her all for her children and grandchildren. Heaven truly gained another angel. Now she can be reunited with her own son that passed away over a decade ago.

My father has been the only son of Melba for a while and had been working day and night trying to take care of her here in San Diego and in Los Angeles. As you can imagine, one person can only do so much. My family was not at all prepared for the financial burden that comes along with funeral service and burial. That is why I (the daughter of Ronald) am reaching out to all of you in hopes that you'll show your support. Not for me, but for my dad and/or grandmother to celebrate her life.

So you know exactly where your donation will be used, we are planning a modest but proper ceremony here in San Diego. As you can see our starting goal is $5,000. We understand this is a very tough time for so many especially getting closer to the holidays, but we hope to raise this amount as soon as possible. Every little bit helps tremendously and gets us closer to putting Melba Dodson to rest in a peaceful place.

I want to thank you deeply for taking the time to read about Melba Dodson "Shirley," and our brief background story. This has been a very difficult time for us. On behalf of the Evans family we pray for your peace, blessings, prosperity, and love for the rest of 2021 leading into 2022. We all need it.

Love Always,

Sabrina Evans

Grandaughter of Melba Dodson