Ag News
GFB mourns loss of former state WLC Chairman Melanie Sanders
Posted on Feb 21, 2023 at 19:00 PM
Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) extends its sincere condolences to the family of Melanie Short Sanders, who lost her battle with cancer Feb. 15. Melanie served as Oglethorpe County Farm Bureau (OCFB) president from 2018 until her death.
Melanie served on the GFB Women’s Leadership Committee from December 2007 through 2009 and again from December 2014 through 2016 representing the GFB 4th District. She chaired the WLC Committee chairman in 2016 and sat on the GFB Board of Directors that year. She chaired the Oglethorpe County Women’s Committee for more than 25 years. Melanie attended the annual GFB Educational Leadership Conference for more than 12 years, many of those with her daughters, Maisie and Jillian in tow.
She is survived by her husband, Phil; mother, Beverly Foster Short; children: Justin Sanders (Katlyn), Trevor Sanders (Kim), OCFB Office Manager Maisie Carter (Jesse), and Jillian Baylor (Walker); seven grandchildren; sister, Becky Grant; and mother and father-in-law, Lewis and Harriet Sanders.
Melanie was the epitome of a multi-tasking farm lady. She farmed alongside Phil, helping him run their dairy farm from 1982-2000. She milked cows and fed calves when needed, trained new employees and kept herd records. When the Sanderses started raising chickens in 2006, she helped maintain the flocks, walking the chicken houses after work and on weekends and answering alarms as needed. The Sanders also produce hay, corn, soybeans, sorghum and other grains.
In addition to her Farm Bureau activities, Melanie worked for The Commercial Bank for more than 25 years, served on the Oglethorpe County Board of Education for 12 years and was an active member of Salem Baptist Church in Lexington where she was a youth leader, Sunday School and Vacation Bible School teacher.
Her complete obituary is available at https://www.lordandstephens.com/obituary/Melanie-Sanders. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital at https://www.stjude.org/or to the Salem Baptist Church Youth Group at http://salembaptistcommunity.org/give/ or to the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture at https://www.gafoundationag.org/donate .
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