MELVIN  BERRY  LAMBERT

Written by Mother [Pearl Tomlinson Lambert]

My Beloved Son, Melvin Berry Lambert, was born Wednesday, February 11, 1914 at 9 am.  He is the son of Thomas Gilhespy Lambert and Pearl Ethel Tomlinson.  He was a perfect baby, beautiful and well developed, weighing nearly ten pounds.

When he was nine days old he smiled at me, I shall never forget that sweet smile.  That sweet smile lasted throughout his life.  He was so independent he tried very early in life to get around alone, and at eleven months began to walk.

Once he said to me,” Mama, I love you every week in the day”.   He was so young, it thrilled me so I still remember it.

Melvin never said an unkind thing to me in his life, or refused to do any task.  He was a loving, helpful, precious son.

When very young I used to take him to Daddy’s Gift Shop to help him clerk, he soon caught on to where everything was, and began waiting on the ladies, he was so cute and winning, I nearly lost my customers.  When I asked them what I could do for them, they would say, “We want this young man to serve us”.  Once on the Fourth of July, Daddy pumped up balloons and gave them to our boys to sell on the street, Melvin sold nine dollars worth,  more than the other boys;  Daddy was so proud of his little son. Melvin and his father were very close, loved devotedly.

As he grew older he was very mechanically inclined and if anything went wrong with the auto, he was the first one called on for help.  The neighbors too called for Melvin, if anything went wrong with their radios or appliances.  He was always busy.

Mr. Lambert needed help in the store so Melvin took up the trade of picture framing,  and became a valuable help to him.  One morning Melvin was very sick, I tried to persuade him to stay home but he said, “Daddy needs me Mother, I must go.”  Afterwards I was so glad he insisted, for that was the last day Mr. Lambert ever went to the store.  It was Saturday, September 7^th, 1932 and that same evening he was killed by a hit and run driver.

Melvin had the sweet memory of being with him and helping him all he could the last day of his father’s life.

After Mr. Lambert’s death, Melvin was so thoughtful of me and did everything possible to cheer me up and help me.  Whenever the younger children were cross or quarreled, he always had some way to make peace in the home.  The children adored him.

Every penny he got was spent on something I needed or to take me to some place of pleasure to make me happy.  He was always cheerful and uncomplaining no matter what happened.

Melvin’s cheerfulness, hope, and trust gave me Courage and Strength.  He had great faith in the Lord and went humbly to Him with all of his problems in life; never giving up or indulging in self-pity, but nobly enduring any cross that was given to him to bear and pressing on to attain his goal in life.

He graduated from West High School, where he had won many lasting friends and been highly esteemed by all of his teachers.  He started working for the Telephone Company, and this gave his great pleasure, for now he could do more for his Mother and the family he was so devoted to.

A young girl by the name of Velma soon found out his good qualities and they became very good friends; but after Mr. Lambert’s death, we moved away and they lost track of each other.

A young lady in our new Ward was so impressed with him, she used to go out in the street to see which way he went, if he missed her.

But his thoughts seemed centered on a very lovely talented girl in the Ward, who responded to his love.  He got a job at a picture frame place and worked very hard toward settling down. 

On November 28, 1935, we went to the Temple, where Melvin and Olive V. Brinton were sealed for Time and Eternity.  They were both extremely happy for eight months, when Melvin’s health failed.  Olive did all she possibly could while he was in the hospital.  After he came out he did not regain his health as the inlaws felt he should, so some morning they came and took he [Olive] home and never allowed her to see him again.

It was so said it broke all of our hearts.  They children thought a change would do him good, so we went to California for nearly a year.  The parents sued for a divorce, which was granted.  It broke our hearts. 

Melvin was very brave, never complaining or burdening the family with his troubles, but his heart was broken.

His health did not improve, we went back to Salt Lake, but Melvin went from Chicago to Las Vegas seeking work, finally settling down in California and opened a picture-framing studio.  He made many lovely friends.

One morning Pearl phoned from L.A. [Los Angeles] saying, “Mother, I have sad news for you – Melvin just passed away from a heart attack.  I am coming home with his body.”  I had just received a letter from him saying he could not come home for Christmas, but he would be with us in Spirit.  He loved us.

He died December 20, 1943.  Our hearts were all broken as we laid him to rest December 27, 1943, by the side of his Loving Father in Wasatch Lawn Cemetery.

Everyone in the Ward loved Melvin for his faithfulness to his duties, his pleasant manner, genial ways and wonderful personality.

May the Lord reward him for the years of love and sacrifice to me and my fatherless children.  He was truly a son of God and example to all.