Manuella Perry

Mela Perry
Friday, July 13, 2007

(photo)

CASPER -- Mass of Christian Burial for Mela Perry, 89, will be celebrated at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 14, 2007 at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Casper.

All friends are invited to a visitation at Newcomer Family Funeral Home today from 4 to 8 p.m.

She died peacefully at the home of her daughter, Rosie Satterfield, on July 11, 2007, where for the past year and a half she received loving care.

She was born Nov. 9, 1917, on the Island of Sao Miguel, Azores Islands of Portugal and immigrated to the United States as a small child. She was raised in New Bedford, Mass. She was a member of Mount Carmel Catholic Church where she met and later married Joseph J. Perry on July 1, 1940.

They moved to Evansville with three children in 1946 at the advice of her brother. After the move, eight more children were born.

She was active in several organizations and her true passion was her family. She cooked, sewed, cleaned, baked and nurtured her children and her husband in the best way imaginable.

She managed the household budget so well her children went to private Catholic school and always had joyous Christmas mornings.

She was a longtime member of the Evansville Good Neighbors Club. At the age of 55, she took a job with Natrona County school district and worked in the cafeterias at Dean Morgan and Kelly Wash.

She never met a stranger. She talked to people in grocery lines, after church, on walks, over the fence, on a plane or in a restaurant. Her favorite people, though, were children, especially babies.

She is survived by seven daughters, Rosemarie Satterfield, Casper; Paula Perry, Denver; Patricia Thomas, Libertyville, Ill.; Elaine Slaymaker and her husband, Atkinson, Neb.; Nancy Watson, Rochester, N.Y.; Phyllis Randel and her husband, Eudora, Kan.; Karen Anderson and her husband, Warwick, N.D.; three sons, Michael and his wife, Loveland, Colo.; Peter and his wife and Christopher and his wife, all of Casper; 21 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren; her brother, Eddie Rodick and his wife of Casper; many nieces and nephews and honorary family members.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, her firstborn son, Joe, her parents and her brother, Herbert.

The family requests memorials be sent to Perry Family, 2944 Ridgecrest, Casper, 82604; to purchase items for Five Trails Adult Day Care, where she spent many happy days filled with excellent care and tremendous love.