Melba A. Cox, 80, of Harrisonville, Missouri, died Thursday, November 5, 2020 at Cass Regional Medical Center in Harrisonville.  Graveside services were held  Wednesday, November 11, 2020 at Orient Cemetery, Harrisonville.

Melba was born March 23, 1940 in Mansfield, Arkansas, a daughter of William Duane and Edna Marie (Johnson) Ellis.  The family moved to California when Melba was young.  She was a graduate of Coachella Valley High School in Thermal, CA, and worked for the phone company in California until her daughters were born.  The Cox family moved to Harrisonville in 1977 and Melba went to work for United Telephone, later working for Sprint as an analyst until her retirement in 2005.  After her retirement, she worked as the floral delivery driver at Garden Gate Floral in Harrisonville for many years.  Throughout the years, "MeMaw" was happiest babysitting her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews and attending their school programs, sporting events and family gatherings.

Melba was preceded in death by her parents and three brothers, Bill Ellis, Leo Ellis and Neil Ellis. She is survived by two daughters, Connie Gibb and husband, Jerry, of Harrisonville, and Becky Cox, of Lee's Summit, MO; two grandsons, Michael Schuster and wife, Trista, and Jeffrey Schuster and wife, Amanda; and 5 great-grandchildren, Kenedy, Reagan, Madi, Abbi and Brody.