Melissa Plant

(From Clark Funeral Home)

Melissa N. Plant was born on May 16, 1975, in Neosho, Missouri, one of three daughters to Jerry Lee and Helen Elizabeth (Rush) Harmon. She entered into rest on September 5, 2023, at her home in Lowell, Arkansas, surrounded by her loving family at the age of 48. 

Melissa graduated from Neosho High School in 1993. She continued her education at Missouri Southern State College, Joplin (MSSU) earning a bachelor’s degree in Sociology in 1997. 

After graduation, she worked for the Children’s Miracle Network of Joplin as Special Projects Coordinator, then as an administrative assistant for Philip Willcoxon and Pat Versluis at Freeman Neosho Hospital. Later she was assistant manager and volunteer coordinator for the gift shops for Freeman Health Systems. 

On June 6, 1998, in Webb City, Missouri at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Melissa and Geoffrey Plant were united in marriage. In 2001, Geoff was commissioned in the United States Navy, and they relocated to Virginia. 

During this time, Melissa completed her Master of Public Administration degree at Old Dominion University in Norfolk Va, and gave birth to her son Gregory. In 2004, The family was stationed at Rota, Spain, where her daughter Catherine was born. After leaving Rota, the family was stationed at Charlottsville, Virigina, Bremerton, Washington, Okinawa Japan, and New Bern, North Carolina. 

While serving with her husband in the military, Melissa volunteered with the Navy-Marine Corp Relief Society (NMCRS), an international organization formed to aid sailors and Marines. Melissa was active with this group wherever they were stationed and managed myriad volunteers and programs. Besides her work with NMCRS, she was instrumental in organizing social activities and reaching out to those in need, she was always helping people and many of those have remained in contact with her because of her kind and gentle nature and her desire to help others. 

While living in New Bern, NC, she worked for Smart Start, a government organization that distributed funds for educational programs for the underserved - a job that she greatly enjoyed. Geoff retired from the U.S. Navy in 2017 and in 2018, the family moved to Lowell, Arkansas and Melissa began working for the Walton Family Foundation (WFF) in Bentonville, where she worked for two years when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She left her position at WFF as her health declined. 

Melissa loved to crochet, making baby blankets and delicate snow-flake ornaments for the family. She liked to write, create felted objects and was a great chef. Melissa was very independent, extremely intelligent had a great wit, and a great sense of humor. She enjoyed spirited conversations and was strong in her beliefs. Growing up, her sisters always referred to her as the ‘peacekeeper.' Melissa was a member of the St. Vincent DePaul Catholic Church in Rogers, Arkansas. 

She is survived by her husband of 25 years, Geoffrey Plant; her two beloved children, Gregory Plant and Catherine Plant; two sisters, Melinda (Daniel) Bohachick of Carl Junction, Missouri, and Michelle (Michael) DeSchene of Neosho, Missouri, nieces, nephews, other family and many friends. She is preceded in death by her parents. 

Funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, at 9 am at St. Canera Catholic Church in Neosho. Interment will follow in the Veteran’ s Cemetery in Fayetteville, Arkansas at 1:30 pm. The family will receive friends Monday, Sept. 11, 2023, at the Clark Funeral Home, Neosho, from 5:30 – pm. Contributions in memory of Melissa may be made to the Navy-Marine Corp Relief Society (https://www.nmcrs.org/).