FORT LARAMIE – Beth (Hone) Melonuk of Fort Laramie, died at her home on August 3, 2024, with her husband at her side.
She was born on October 12, 1945, in Columbus, Ohio. Her parents, Ralph and Harriet Hone, moved frequently when she was a child, but settled permanently in Redlands, California, where she entered the sixth grade.
She graduated from Redlands High School in 1963 and earned her B.A. degree from the University of Redlands in 1968. She taught French at the high school level in various locations. While teaching in Calexico, California, she met and married her husband, Robert Melonuk, in 1976. She earned her M. A. degree in French from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1987. She guided tours for high school French students to France during summer vacations.
She was a Francophile and especially enjoyed French art and culture. The Melonuks lived and worked in different areas of Southern California and Wyoming during their 48 years of marriage. They retired to Fort Laramie in 2005.
Beth enjoyed bird watching and feeding birds in her yard. She also liked to read, garden, and visit art museums.
She is survived by her beloved husband and best friend, Robert; her two sisters, Hannah Hone Leckman (James) of Hamden, Connecticut. and Martha Hone-Warren (Michael) of Redlands, and her brother, Philip Hone (Dawn) of Redlands, California. Also surviving her are sisters-in-law Evelyn Cecil of Huntley, and Carol Cooper (Craig) of Riverton, and 10 nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents
Cremation has already taken place. Funeral services will September 13, 2024 at All Saints Episcopal Church at 10 a.m. Interment will be in the Fort Laramie Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations to Parkinson’s Foundation or St. Joseph’s Indian School, Chamberlain, South Dakota may be made.
Her six-word summary of life: My hope is in the Lord.
