Melva Lenora Swanson was born on April 14, 1938, in Eldorado, Oklahoma, to Canie L. and Hazel Jewel (Barnes) Hankins. She was lovingly raised in the close-knit community of Eldorado, where she spent her childhood and formed lifelong friendships. Lenora graduated from Eldorado High School. Following graduation, she pursued her passion for caring for others by earning an associate degree in nursing, beginning a path of service and compassion that would touch many lives.

Lenora is remembered as a devoted and loving mother who poured her heart into raising her two sons. She nurtured them with unwavering love, guidance, and strength, creating a home filled with warmth and support.

Her nursing career reflected the same compassion she showed her family. Through her work with the Children First Program at the health department, Lenora found her true calling in caring for children and supporting expectant mothers. She had a special gift for offering comfort, encouragement, and steady guidance during some of life’s most tender moments.

Outside of her work, Lenora found joy in creative expression. She enjoyed crafting, especially ceramics and calligraphy, and took pride in creating beautiful, meaningful pieces.

Lenora peacefully passed from this life on February 10, 2026, at the age of 87. She was preceded in death by her beloved parents.

Those left to cherish her memory include her two sons, Eldon Huckabay and his wife, Jene and Eric Thompson; her sister, Wanda Ryburn and her husband, Jess; her niece, Jaymi Chambless; four grandchildren; Brian Huckabay and his wife, Mayra, Jonathan Huckabay and his wife, Sarah, and Austin Huckabay and his wife, Alissa, and Jynnissa Thompson; six great-grandchildren; Hayden, Hanna, Hollis, Alex, Aiden, and Collins Huckabay and many other relatives and dear friends whose lives were blessed by knowing her.

A graveside service to celebrate Lenora’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, February 20, 2026, at Eldorado Cemetery in Eldorado, Oklahoma. Family and friends are invited to gather in remembrance of a life devoted to love, service, and compassion.

Online memorial tributes and expressions of sympathy may be left for the family at www.kincannonfuneralhome.com.