Melanie Richards, 71, of Antonito, CO and formerly of West Tawakoni and Merkel, TX, died after a sudden illness on April 25, 2022.

Rosary service is set for 10 a.m., April 30, at Our Lady of Guadalupe (OLOG) Catholic Church in Conejos, CO. A Celebration of Life service will also be held at 2:00 p.m. on May 7 at Cedar Mills Marina & Resort located at 500 Harbour View Rd, Gordonville, TX 76245.

Born August 28, 1950 in Sherman, she was the daughter of Fred and JoAnn Mauldin.

She served as the executive assistant to the Port Director in Brownsville, TX where she met Hoy Richards and he hired her as his Office Manager at the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A & M University.

She married Hoy’s son Cloy on June 27, 1975 and after three years in the Air Force, they moved to Merkel where they owned and operated The Merkel Mail for 28 years. Melanie earned her bachelor’s degree from Angelo State University in 1995 and taught school in Merkel, Greenville, Midland, and Bland until she retired in 2015.

She is survived by her husband of Antonito, CO; a son, Joey Richards and wife Allison, and grandchildren Case and Arden of Fort Worth; a daughter Kim and her husband Ryan Hodge, and grandson Josh of Amarillo; a brother Michael Mauldin and his wife Susan of Grass Valley, CA.; a brother Matt Mauldin and his wife Terri of San Antonio; a sister Marcy and her husband Gary Bomar of Abilene; a sister Emily Mauldin of Houston; and a sister Melissa and her husband Paul Prewit of Midland.

She was preceded in death by her parents, a sister Merikay Qualls and a grandson Kody Hodge.

Melanie’s favorite organization to support was El Santuario de los Pobladores, a labyrinth dedicated to the mysteries of the Rosary, adjacent to OLOG, and she would encourage your consideration of a gift to that effort at www.Santuariopobladores.org/donate.