Lynn Ingrum Melton

A beautiful soul has made it to her final home. 

Lynn Ingrum Melton, 69, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Dec. 10, 2024. 

She was born in Libby, Montana on November 30, 1955, to parents Bill and Rosalie Ingrum. She was raised in Libby, Montana and graduated from Libby Senior High School in 1974. She was interested in art and music from an early age and graduated from Montana State University in Bozeman with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1978.

Lynn spent her next years in Columbia, Missouri, where her Dad Bill Ingrum was from, enjoying time with aunts and uncles and many cousins. She later moved to Norman, Oklahoma, where she met Bill Melton, who lived across the street from her. They became friends and were married Oct. 10, 1987. Their loving son, Adam Lynn Melton, was born May 22, 1989.

Lynn was a professional artist since the 1970s. In Columbia, she worked at a Photo Studio and Lab and trained the staff in photo retouching techniques. She owned her own business of restoring old photographs and was an illustrator for Saxon Publishing in the 1990s. 

She served as an instructor for the EAAC (Eufaula Area Arts Council) Adult Lake Arts class and was a teaching artist on the educational roster with the Oklahoma Arts Council, traveling to schools throughout the state teaching art to age levels from kindergarten to adult. 

“She has expertise in printmaking, painting, fabric art, mosaics, murals and restoration and coloration of photographs,” from an article by Donna Pearce in Eufala’s local newspaper. It was also noted that Lynn is the artist that has drawn caricatures in Eufaula on Main Street during ArtWalk. She also did commission work, created numerous murals in the surrounding communities and participated in numerous art shows. Lynn developed a series of graphic novels (comics) about her true home life, many reflecting on the perspective of the mother of a son serving in the military.

Lynn was part of Columbia, Missouri’s College for Kids every Summer for 15 years, being part of a program developed by her cousin Marilyn Toalson and other local teachers who wanted to provide gifted children with an environment to increase their skills by exploring creative learning.

Lynn’s goal was always to provide the education and tools to students to help them learn all aspects of art and she believed art opens the door to all forms of learning. She created her own instruction books to assist in this process. She always shared her artwork with family and friends as gifts, which will always be treasured. Lynn loved the outdoors and especially enjoyed fishing with Bill and Adam.

She was involved in Cornerstone and Glorieta Baptist Churches where she taught Sunday School as well as Women’s Bible studies, and was part of the worship teams, playing guitar and flute. She and Bill later became part of the Thunderbird Baptist Church in the Noble, Oklahoma area.

Lynn is survived by her husband Bill Melton and son Adam Melton, step-son Nathan Melton, all of the Noble, Oklahoma area, her sister Lisa and Steve Stancher (Whitefish), sister in-laws Julie Ingrum (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) and Sandee Ingrum (Spokane, Washington), Uncle Bob Johnson (Libby), many nieces, nephews, cousins and her Missouri family with aunts and many cousins. 

She is preceded in death by her parents, her brother Rod and brother Glenn Ingrum.

Lynn’s family and friends will join to pay respects and celebrate Lynn Ingrum Melton’s life, Jan. 18, 2025, at Thunderbird Baptist Church 1416-142nd Ave. SE Norman, Oklahoma. The visitation for Lynn’s family and friends is at 10 a.m. followed by rejoicing in Lynn’s Life with God (Pastor Paul Carter) at 11 a.m.

We miss you so much, Lynn but this is not goodbye, but “See you later wife, Mom, sister, friend!”