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Kathryn Melson Moore, provided school buses

March 3, 2013

Kathryn Melson Moore passed away peacefully Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013, after a long illness at the Greenwood Country Rest Home.

Mrs. Moore, fondly known to many as "Miss Kitty," was born in Frankford, Nov. 14, 1917. Miss Kitty graduated from Lord Baltimore High School class of 1938. She later attended the Modernella School of Beauty in Philadelphia and returned to the Ocean View and Millville area, and with the help of her cousin Emmons Phillips opened Kitty's Beauty Salon next to his store in Millville.

Following her marriage to Budd, Miss Kitty opened a shop in her home in Little Heaven and worked at her craft for over 40 years. Later, she joined with her husband as they expanded their school bus contracting business and became the driver of their special needs bus. She enjoyed interacting with the children and treated them as her own.

Upon the passing of Budd, Miss Kitty and her daughter Margaret and later with daughter Claudia owned and operated KAMAR Bus Service Inc., while providing school transportation for the Caesar Rodney and Lake Forest school districts. The Moore family spent 48 years in the school bus business.

Miss Kitty can best be described as a woman of faith. She was a lifelong member of the Ocean View Church of Christ and was dedicated to the church, and in the more recent past attended the Smyrna Church of Christ. During her life she also attended the Magnolia Methodist Church and Trinity Methodist Church in Frederica but visited Ocean View Church of Christ often. She read her bible daily and enjoyed watching religious shows on television.

She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and served for years as the star point Aida. She was a member of the board of directors of the Frederica Senior Center for several terms and was a proud member of the Daughters of the America Revolution Col. Haslett Chapter. She was also a committee woman for years with the Republican Party in her area and was a Rush Limbaugh fan.

Miss Kitty enjoyed traveling and accompanied her daughters on many trips both in country and in Europe, the British Isles and Ireland. She liked to read, do crafts and go out to dinner. But the major focus of her life in later years was her grandchildren. She was active as their taxi driver (it was said if Route 113 had to be shut down – they would have to call her first) and enjoyed being involved in their activities.

She was also very active with her daughters and was always ready to take on a new project. Miss Kitty took pride in her family and provided support, love and commitment to each one. She liked to spend time with her brothers and to reminisce about their childhood days. She regarded her sister-in-law Claudia as a true sister and valued their time together. Though the love of her life, Budd, was taken at age 60, Miss Kitty kept his spirit alive by sharing with her family stories of their lives together.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Margaret Bunting and John Oscar Melson; her beloved husband, Floyd "Budd" Moore; brothers, G. William Melson and Joseph B. Melson. She is survived by two loving daughters, Margaret Moore Dean and her husband Lee of Harrington and Claudia Onken and her husband Gary of Frederica; two granddaughters, Kathryn Carroll and her husband Andy of Wisconsin and Margaret "Boo" Onken of Frederica; her loving sister-in-law, Claudia B. Melson of Lewes; nieces, Gail Brenner and husband Eric and family of Silver Springs, Md., Kathy Melson of North Carolina; nephews, Joseph B. Melson Jr. and wife Judy of Rehoboth, Ted Melson and wife Laurel and family of South Carolina; and special grand-nephews, Brett Melson and daughter Josie of Milton, Jarrod Melson and wife Lori of Silver Springs.

A celebration of life in honor of Kathryn Melson Moore will be held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, March 6, at the Torbert Funeral Chapel South, 1145 E. Lebanon Road (Rt. 10). Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Activities Program of the Greenwood Country Rest Home, 12046 Sunset Lane, Greenwood, DE 19950.

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