Penelope “Penny” Dianne Huey Melbern

Penelope “Penny” Dianne Huey Melbern, 72, of Gatesville passed away on Wednesday, July l5, 2015 in Temple. Graveside Services will be at 10 AM, Tuesday, July 21, 2015 at Hemmeline Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5-7 PM on Monday at the funeral home. Penny was born Oct 30, 1942 in Tyler, Texas to the late Sam Lee Huey, Jr. and Margaret Melton Callaway. After a few years of moving around in the military, she and her family settled in Gatesville. Penny graduated from Gatesville High School in 1960. She attended Southwest Texas State University and Temple Jr. College before beginning her nursing career as a LVN. She was employed at Coryell Memorial Hospital where she worked in both Emergency and Operating Room. In the mid-1960’s, she began working at Providence Hospital in Surgery as a scrub nurse for the first open heart surgeries in Waco. She later specialized in assisting neurosurgeries. After attending Central Texas College and earning her RN in 1980, she moved to Gatesville to work at the Prison as a psychological nurse. During the next few years, she took on more responsibility and became Director of Nurses for three prison units. In 1998, she received a serious neck injury and was forced to retire. Family and friends were important to Penny. She spent time maintaining those relationships and unselfishly giving. She added value to everyone with whom she worked, to her friends and especially to her family. Penny is survived by her husband of 18 years, William (Bill) E. Melbern; daughters, Phyllis Sawyer of Gatesville and Erin Mathis of Aurora, Colorado; sons, Will Melbern of Hewitt and Matt Melbern of Ft. Worth; nine grandchildren; sister, Jacque Huey Taylor of Austin; brothers, Sam Huey of Temple and Robert Huey of Gatesville; niece, Ellisa Taylor Bradley of Austin; and nephews, David Taylor of Austin and Robert Huey of Wimberley. Memorials may be made to Scott & White Hospice, 2401 S. 31st St, Temple, TX 76508.