It’s really hard to know where to start a post when a loved has passed from this earth to go home to heaven. I could brush over it and keep posting about cooking, cleaning, and other aspects of daily life. However, I would be remiss to not stop and pay tribute to a truly great man.
My father-in-law was hardworking, honest, and devoted. He lived a life committed to the Lord through years of providing for his family, adoring his wife, raising his kids, and serving his church and community. Later in life he enjoyed the fruit of his labor with a retirement that offered almost a decade of cruise vacations with his bride and woodworking in the shop just behind their house.
Melvin was quite skilled with his hands and honed those skills on countless treasures he gifted his family and friends. Bowls, boxes, pens, sculptures, birdhouses, hiking sticks. The list is endless. If he thought of something you might like, he made it!
As the grandkids came along, Papa Melvin’s workshop buzzed and hummed more than ever with the sounds of lathes and chisels and sandpaper. For the grands he crafted cars, trains, puzzles, jewelry boxes, vanity mirrors, necklaces, and figurines. Visiting BonBon and Papa Melvin’s house was a treat for the grands, knowing it would include a walk out to Papa’s workshop to make a toy or trinket together.
In recent years, our Papa suffered with a lung disease that would require more rest and less activity. Eventually, the sell of their house, along with the workshop, became a necessary measure in order to downsize and reduce daily maintenance. However, much to our delight, Papa Melvin did not stop carving! In a corner of his new garage he set up a little workshop with one small table and one small cabinet holding a few tools he’d kept for lower key projects.
And the work of his hands continued!
In late February of this year, our Papa Melvin passed from this earth. We had thought we had another few years to enjoy him this side of heaven, but God numbers our days perfectly and Papa’s day came sooner than we’d expected. In fact, it would probably be more accurate to say we were really caught off guard. His lungs just couldn’t take another day. Having known Christ as his Savior, Papa Melvin was at peace and fully accepting of God calling him home.
For years I’ve had dreams about heaven. I’m not being weird or claiming to have some supernatural gift. I know they’re just dreams, but the aspect of heaven that I feel the most in these dreams, as if I were really there, is the air. It’s always cool, but comfortably so. And it’s pure and lightly scented with a mild and pleasing aroma that flows easily through nose, mouth, and lungs. It’s restorative, relaxing, and restful.
I imagine Melvin breathing this air. Effortlessly. At full capacity. Color back in his face. Healthy and restored. And as my sweet sister-in-law has said, Papa Melvin is probably carving little wooden angels to hand out to everyone in heaven!
This spring I reached out to another gifted woodcrafter–a young woodburning artist with a unique skill for capturing memories of family homes and other special structures on wood–and asked her to burn a picture of Melvin’s workshop for my dear mother-in-law. Nizhoni eagerly agreed and, with just a texted photo (top of post), created the most beautiful woodburning of Papa Melvin’s Workshop!
Considering Melvin’s past volunteer work with a youth woodcarvers program where he taught and mentored teens, I feel pretty certain he would be delighted over seeing Nizhoni’s work and knowing there are new young budding wood artists out there!
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(If you’d like to get in touch with Nizhoni, please leave me a comment and I’ll be happy to give you her information. Or you can check out her Instagram page nizhoni_t_design. She was enthusiastic about the project and finished in a very timely manner and at a reasonable price.)
What a lovely gift and tribute to a special man who we remember as a kind and thoughtful neighbor. He and Bonnie were a precious pair, and I know their greatest delight was their children and grandchildren.
Thank you, Melissa, for your thoughtful words! 🥰 Bonnie often commented on how much she enjoyed having you as neighbor and would say, “You just need to meet Melissa! Y’all would get along so well!” You and Bonnie kept the pretty houses on the street! And every time we drive by to see their old house, we always swing by yours too. 🏡❤️🏡
Melvin and sweet wife with youngest daughter went to East Tallassee Church of Christ when Mac and. I were on staff as youth minister and we were so blessed by there servants heart. They made such an impact on our life, church, and so many families. Thankful for memories of days serving and working together to have a VBS. So sorry to hear of his passing l know y’all will miss him but l know he’s in heaven!! What a wonderful well written way to honor him. Knew their family when l worshipped at Elmore as a young single. I would drive down on Sundays from Montgomery loved college minister/ minister as well. Also used to work with Paula their 1st cousin she invited me to church we worked together at ACA daycare. So so many ways your family impacted my life at different times. What a blessing!! We live in Deatsville, and worship at Hunter Hills and have 2 kids at 15, 21. So God blessed us to be here for last 18 years been blessed to be part of great community. Love your blog!!💝💝
Hello, Kim!! I very much remember Bonnie and Melvin speaking of you and your husband quite fondly during those years you worshipped together. I know they must have had a special impact on you two as a newlywed couple, as I’m sure you had on them as well.
Thank you so much for your comment! I love hearing about your growing family and where everyone is now! I’ll make sure this gets passed on to Bonnie. It will mean so much to her. Blessings to your family! 💕
What a wonderful tribute to Mr. Sikes! It’s comforting to know that he is breathing the sweet air of heaven effortlessly. I remember the minister who conducted Mama Poole’s funeral saying something similar because she had trouble breathing in her last days. I’ve never forgotten his comments. They were so comforting.
Oh, please share with me sometime because I don’t remember that! A very comforting promise, for sure! ❤️
Thank you for such a sweet post and tribute to Dad. He loved you and thought so highly of you. Even though your artistic talent isn’t necessarily in woodworking, I know he always felt a special bond with you, because you both love to create. He is sorely missed. But he left his imprint on our lives in so many ways.
Yes, a very BIG imprint he’s left! And I treasure that artistic bond we were blessed to share. ❤️
Those pieces are treasures. I think the train is my favorite.
You were lucky to find someone who could make that workshop look so real on the wood.
Memories for a lifetime.
Marilyn
Oh that train is VERY special (as all the pieces are!)! He made that for my little boy when we adopted him 6 years ago and my mother-in-law wrote a sweet poem to go with it. Melvin then added more train cars for our son’s birthdays and Christmases. Treasured for sure!!
And yes, Nizhoni did an amazing job with the burning!!
The kindest most heartfelt words of love admiration and purity I have ever ever read. Beautiful Alinda🙏
Sent from my iPhone
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Thank you, Aunt Brenda! As you know, he deserves all that and more! ❤️
A beautiful tribute! We always have enjoyed our cute rustic Santa he gave us early on in our days after becoming “his outlaws” as he liked to say! Santa remains out year round on our bookshelves. Later we received beautiful pens he carved. At one point, we brought home gorgeous pieces of wood for Papa Melvin from another master’s woodshop in Virginia….Uncle Randy’s! Two talented and special men who knew (know) the reward of working with one’s hands! Sweet memories!
And….yes, I would love the contact number!
Melvin always cracked me up with the outlaw comment! Yes, we are blessed to have 2 woodworkers in one family—a rare thing these days!