Melvina Elizabeth Houston Ames, age 98, peacefully passed away at home on Sunday, September 26, 2021 in the Village of Gleannloch Farms, Spring, Texas. A Celebration of Life will be held on Tuesday, October 26, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. at Lakewood United Methodist Church, 11330 Louetta Road, Houston, Texas. Possessing a spunky spirit and a life blessed by her faith, family, and dear friends and a love of chatting with everyone she met, Melvina was born September 9, 1923 in Alton, Illinois, one of eight children of Lawrence and Oma C. Heavner Wintjen.

A Midwesterner nearly her whole life, Melvina lived in Wood River, Illinois for 95 years before moving to Texas in 2018, to be closer to several of her children and grandchildren. Melvina attended schools in Wood River and graduated from East Alton Wood River High School in 1941. After attending secretarial school, she plied her skills at Shell Oil Company in Roxana, Illinois, and upon his return from service in World War II in the U.S. Army Air Corps, she married James C. Houston on March 26, 1945. James and Melvina reared three sons and a daughter, James C. Houston, Jr., Dennis M. Houston, Sue Ellen Houston Latham, and Mark S. Houston. Upon her husband James's death in 1970, Melvina began work at the Wood River Public Library, she taught Sunday School at the First Baptist Church of Wood River, and she served as a pink lady chaplain's assistant at the Wood River Township Hospital. She married Gerald W. Ames on September 9, 1974, who predeceased her. Upon Melvina's move to the Houston area from Illinois, she became a member of Lakewood United Methodist Church.

Melvina is survived by her son J.C. and his wife Janis of Thornton, Colorado; her son Dennis and his wife Cathia of The Woodlands, Texas and their son Christopher and his wife Martine and son Nicholas and his wife Whitney; her daughter Sue Ellen and her husband Timothy of Spring, Texas and their son Timothy and his wife Emily and daughter Sarah; her son Mark of Palm Harbor, Florida and his son Brett; Mr. Ames's daughters Nancy and Terry; her four great-grandchildren, Melanie, Samantha, Henry, and Claire, who always brought a broad smile to her face; and her many nieces and nephews. Melvina was preceded in death by her parents, her husbands James and Gerald, Gerald's daughter Patricia, and siblings Mourna Hester, Althalia Hester, Zenna Frensley, Lawrence (Bud) Wintjen, Nola Payne, Una Collins, and Robert Wintjen. The family would like to thank the helpful staff and Melvina's many friends at The Village of Gleannloch Farms and also Heart to Heart Hospice Care for such tender care to "Mel." In lieu of flowers, a charitable donation may be made to Lakewood United Methodist Church.