Melba Glyn Hill Cook, Our loving Mother, Sister, Grandmother, and Great-grandmother returned to the loving arms of God on the morning of Tuesday February 24, 2015 at the home of her daughter, Mary Alice Cook, in Austin Texas.

She was born to Paul Dewey Hill and Lois Moore Hill, daughter of John Moore and Laura Ellison, On May 30, 1931, In Mt. Vernon Texas at the home of her grandparents Asa Albert Hill and Sarah Elizabeth Martin Hill. Her childhood was complete when her little sister Gail was born 2 years later, she loved her devotedly all her life.

She was a 1948 graduate of Jackson High School in Jackson, Mississippi and was a student all her life taking courses in History, Bookkeeping, Shorthand, Science, Geology, and Astronomy. Her interests were many, varied and wide ranging, i.e. she collected enough rocks to pave a driveway and built a rock garden. When teased by a cousin she replied, she just might do that, also she was gracious about sharing some for door stops in the homes of her children and friends.

She married Enoch Ray Cook of Mt. Pleasant, Texas on September 1, 1951 in Biloxi, MS. They then moved to San Antonio Texas in 1952. Some of the cousins told them "I have never seen a better marriage; you make me believe it can be done". They were truly a matched pair and were deeply in love with each other. While he was serving in the U.S. Air Force, Their first child Mary Alice was born at a base hospital in Roswell, N.M. in 1954. When he returned from Korea to reacquaint himself with his wife and new progeny they moved to Spring Branch in Houston Texas. In 1957 Melba gave birth to Michael Ray Cook and then Marla Sue Cook in 1959. She then began a long career as a legal secretary all the while continuing her search for her ancestors, aided and abetted by her beloved sister Gail, who always treated the family, no matter how large, to very gracious formal Thanksgiving and Christmas Day Dinners. Melba would always claim she was "a Cook by name only" She loved the family get togethers and having family togetherness meant everything to her and Ray.

Melba & Ray loved to travel and they twice visited Europe and all the 50 states. They would even take the Grandkids on a "Spamathon" Camping trip that was remembered in the family lore with great laughter, though no one ate a bite of Spam ever again. Their trips were sometimes dictated by the genealogical work Melba loved to do, investigating every line of the family going back to the 14th century, then finally, with Gail's help to William the Conqueror in 1066.

After Long Careers they retired to Waller where they immediately became active in the community with the Waller Lions Club, and the VFW, making many life-long loving friends and beginning new careers. Melba had a great sense of family and kept up with birthdays and anniversaries of all the cousins, out-laws and in-laws. Every year the first weekend in June was the Hill-Martin-Davis reunion In Mt. Vernon, Texas and Melba was always the one who would mail out announcements, reserve the places, find food and lodging and be the "tour director."

She had a wonderful sense of humor, a wonderful laugh, and she was a great tease and cut up. Many of her friends and family say Melba was the most loving and forgiving person they had ever known. She lived her life as a Christian not by rules but by her love for God. She was a member of the Becker Road Baptist Church.

She was a loving wife, devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother; a kind and considerate friend and her presence on this earth will be sorely missed by all who knew and loved her. She is predeceased by her parents, her husband of 58 years Enoch Ray Cook, and Son Michael Ray Cook. She leaves behind her daughters, Mary Alice Cook of Austin, and Marla Sue Cook of Waller; daughter-In-Law Robin Cook of New Braunfels; former daughter-in-law Mary Lee Cook, mother of her grandchildren and former son-in-law Pat Kilcullen; her sister and brother-in-law Gail and Bobby Bethune of Houston Texas, her brother-in law June Cook and wife Ethelene of Houston; her grandchildren, Jason Cook and wife Melissa, Amanda Cook and Seth Gibson, Mark Kilcullen, Melissa Stafford and husband Jason, all of Waller. She also leaves six great-grandchildren James Cook, Jonathon Cook, Caleb Gibson, Zoey Kilcullen, Jaxon Stafford, Jason Stafford, along with many nephews, nieces and cousins.

Services are under the direction of Canon Funeral home in Waller Texas 1420 Farr Street. Service will be held on February 26, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. There will be a Military Burial Service at the Houston National Cemetery 10410 Veteran's Memorial Dr. on February 27, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. In Lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made in her honor to the American Cancer Association, Becker Rd. Baptist Church, American Lung Society, or the American Heart Association.