Mary Melvina Bedee Savely

Melvina Savely was welcomed to heaven by her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on Friday, April 25, 2014 at the home of her son in Lodgepole. Mary Melvina Bedee Savely was born on the family farm near Lycan (Baca County), Colo. on Dec. 3, 1925. She was the first child of the former "confirmed old bachelor," Daniel Albert Bedee, and the sixth living child of the former widow, Mary Jane Grice Coy Bedee.

With their farm devastated by the impact of the Dust Bowl, the family relocated to Durango, Colo. for a short time where her youngest brother, Albert Nathan, was born. The family then relocated to the Black Forrest area north of Colorado Springs for several years before moving into Colorado Springs and renting various locations until they could afford to pay cash in Jan. 1940 for a place, just north of Old Colorado City where she finished growing up. Other than a few years in Arizona and New Mexico, Melvina lived her entire life in Colorado.

It was during a trip to Chillicothe, Mo. to help her sister, Lucille, take care of her eldest son during the birth of her second son that she met WWII Veteran Raymond J. Savely who worked for the railroad. They were married June 4, 1950 at the old Trinity United Methodist Church on West Pikes Peak Ave. Shortly after their marriage, he was called up to serve in the Korean Conflict. To this union, two children were born, R. J. Jr. at what was then Camp Carson Hospital and Carl David, born two years later in Holbrook, Ariz., where Raymond found work on the Santa Fe Railroad.

Melvina's work experience included work as a housekeeper for the original Colorado Springs Dr. David Winternitz, bookkeeper for Pop Burghard of Burghard Floral, J. C. Penney's, Sears Roebuck, US Postal Service, K-mart, and the El Paso County Assessor's Office from which she retired at age 68. She began teaching children in Sunday school and church missions programs at age 16 and continued to do so until declining health forced her to stop in 2011. She was an active member of the First Southern Baptist Church of Colorado Springs since 1958.

Melvina is survived by her sons, R. J. Jr (Marty) of Lodgepole & Colorado Springs and Carl (Jill) of Sparks, NV. She is also survived by 11 Grandchildren: Jay (Kate) of Rhode Island, Byron of Nevada, Jessica (Mark) of Pennsylvania, Nadine of Nevada, Jon (Jamie) of Nebraska, Josh (Kayla) of New Jersey, Jane (Danny), Joe, Justin, Jacob, and Jared of Nebraska. Melvina is also survived by 11 Great-grandchildren, 8 step-great-grandchildren, 6 informally adopted great-grandchildren, and many extended family and friends. She was proceeded in death by her parents, Daniel Albert Bedee and Mary Jane Grice Coy Bedee, and all of her siblings, Clarence Coy, Fred Lee Coy, Ruby Lucille Coy Robbins, James Monroe Coy, Joe Ezra Coy, and Albert Nathan Bedee.

No Nebraska services are planned; however, friends my stop by the Savely home to sign the Book of Remembrance. Visitation will be held Mon., May 12 at 1 p.m. at the First Southern Baptist Church, 1409 Palmer Park Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80907 with a Memorial Service to follow at 2 p.m., Dr. David Tomme officiating. Burial will follow in the Fairview Cemetery. Nebraska arrangements are under the care of Gehrig-Stitt Chapel & Cremation Service, LLC of Sidney; Colorado Springs arrangements are under the care of Blunt Mortuary of Colorado Springs, Colo.