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Melvin Ross Golden drew his last breath on earth and joined his family in heaven on February 25, 1999. At age 77, he died at his home in Albuquerque, where he and his wife, Mary, resided. He was born in St. Joseph, MO on March 7, 1921 to Jessie Lorean Golden and Reuben Campbell Golden. He joined the National Guard in 1940, proudly served in the U.S. Army, and after medical discharge returned to serve his country in the Merchant Marines. He attended University of Missouri at Columbia for 2 yrs. on the GI Bill, then completed training as an x-ray tech. at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, GA. He remembered the night of the historic Wynecoff Hotel fire in 1946 when he was on call, tending many of its victims at Grady Memorial. A letter he wrote home about the event was published in the St. Joe's Newspress. He worked at Thompson-Brumm Knepper Clinic in St. Joe, MO, where he met his first wife, Elaine Seaman; then Fairfax Community Hospital in Fairfax, MO. He retired in 1976, at the age 55, following a heart attack. He was also an EMT, instructed Red Cross and a Boy Scout leader, a member of the First Lutheran Church in St. Joseph, and recently a member of Sandia Presbyterian Church in Albuquerque. Preceding him in death are his parents, Reuben and Jessie Golden; his wife of 36 yrs., Elaine Seaman Golden; brothers, Robert Golden (killed in action, 1944), Donald Golden, Harold Golden and Byron Golden; and sister, Maxine Golden; his step-daughter, Phyllis Ziph; son-in-law, Clarence Steinbach; grandsons, David and Andrew Steinbach; and a great-grandson, Lee Palmer. He is survived by his beloved wife of 14 yrs., Mary Capria Golden; a brother, James Golden of Haslett, MI; son, Daniel Ross Golden and wife, Debbie of Albuquerque; daughter, Laurie Golden O'Rourke and husband, Tim of Placitas, NM; step-children, Janice Turner Steinbach of Cypress, CA; son-in-law, Bob Ziph of St. Joe, MO, Jim Chorba of Albuquerque and Coleen Grimes and husband, Peter of Irvin, CA; grandchildren, Paul Steinbach, Beth Michels, Denice Steinbach, Tony Ziph, Deborah Palmer, Frank O'Rourke, Graham Golden and Matthew Grimes; great-grandchildren, Brandon Palmer, Lauren and Bradley Steinbach, Erin and Kelly Michels; nephews, Robert Golden, James William Golden, Michael James Golden; nieces, Carol Deeney, Celia Golden, Christine Golden, Pamela Golden, Donna Boyd and Nancy Stark. Melvin left the family his autobiography which he lovingly wrote during his last months. He began it by saying,"A person can only enjoy life if he embraces the good things and sloughs off the bad." His eternal life will be celebrated as well as the beautiful memories he left behind. Memorial services will be held at Sandia Presbyterian Church, 10704 Paseo Del Norte NE, Tuesday, March 2, at 2:00 p.m.
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