White River Junction, Vt - Melvena June Lovejoy, 81, died February 16, 2018 at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH. after a lengthy illness.

Melvena was born on February 26, 1936 in Unity, N.H., the daughter of Raymond J. and Melba (Burke) Braley. Melvena (also known as Nena) started her first job when she was a very young girl, working at Pepperidge Farm Bakery in Norwalk, Connecticut where she spent many long hours kneading dough, so that she could save money for her wedding. She was married to Robert Richard Vernon Adams and they had five children together. She spent many years at home raising her children, but when times got hard she went to work to help meet the family's needs. Although she had many different jobs over the years, serving ice cream at the Idlenot Restaurant in Claremont, N.H. was one of her favorite jobs. Later on in life after her children were grown she divorced. Several years later she met and fell in love with her future husband, while working at another job that she truly enjoyed. Melvena loved working as a caretaker and homemaker for the Visiting Nurse Alliance in Lebanon, N.H. She built many close relationship's with the clients she cared for and this is where she met Jerry H. Lovejoy. It was practically love at first sight as they had only known each other for a couple of months before their marriage on June 2, 2001in West Lebanon, N.H. They spent fifteen years happily married and living in White River Junction, VT before Jerry's death in 2015.

Melvena had a personal relationship with God and was a faithful attendant of Valley Bible Church in White River Junction, Vt. She also was involved in a card ministry where she had lived for the past 17 years, reaching out to her neighbor's and friend's at Graystone Village in White River, Vt. Melvena was very talented when it came to sewing, making a majority of her children's clothing and also clothes for their dolls as well. She loved cooking and baking for her family and was known for her tasty biscuits, Whoopie pies, homemade doughnuts and chocolate brownies. If you needed someone to talk to you always knew that Melvena would be there with a listening ear and words of encouragement. She was a friend to many and will truly be missed.

Melvena is predeceased by two sister's Nancy Labounty and Bonnie Wheeler; a son-in-law, Grover Copland and a grandson Isaac John David Copeland.

She is survived by a son Raymond Clare Adams and his wife Rebecca Elaine (Erisman) Adams of Cornish, N.H.; four daughters, Peggy June Copeland of Claremont, N.H., Ginger Lee Platt and her husband Dean of Rock Springs, WY, Suzanne Ruth Grace and her husband Steven of Ascutney, VT and Amy Jeanne Blankenship and her husband Charles of White River Junction VT; eleven grandsons; two granddaughters; and numerous great-grandchildren; a brother Raymond Braley, Jr. of Cornish, N.H. and three sisters; Carol Fortune of Dover, N.H., Harriett Davis of Claremont N.H., and Joyce Grace of Charlestown, N.H.

Visiting hours will be held Friday March 2, 2018 at Knight Funeral Home in White River Junction VT from 6:00-8:00 p.m. A memorial service will be held Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at Valley Bible Church in White River Junction, VT.

Memorial contributions may be made to: David's House, PO Box 660,Lebanon, NH 03766