Traveling On - June 18, 2009

Melody was born in Atlanta Georgia on March 19, 1961. She began traveling with the Klaudt Indian Family at age 3 weeks. By the time she was 6 weeks old she had already been in 8 states. By the time she was 6 years old, she had been in most of the states in the United States and all the provinces in Canada.

Melody began her education in the first grade in Norcross, Georgia, attended Junior High in Norcross and graduated from Berkmar High School in Lilburn, Georgia. Her vocational training was mostly on-site where she had a natural tenacity to learn a trade and within a short period of time was promoted into management positions. Her quick wit and spontaneous humor was always a plus in dealing with the public. By the very fact that she, at a young age, was able to meet many different races, creeds and color during her travels, gave her the ability to make every one she met comfortable and at ease. Add to that her inert desire to help and assist people no matter their status in life, was a recipe for success.

Melody never had boyfriends. All of her male friends were projects. She assisted many men, who were down on their luck, back into a productive society. This many times frustrated her parents. Who co-signed on car loans, furniture loans, posted bail and in short assisted her in her ministry of helps to the down and out. But in retrospect, this more clearly defined her personality for future ministry.

While managing one of the most successful bars in a pub in Northeast Atlanta Georgia, she asked her parents to pray for her a good husband. Unknowing to her they had been doing this for several years. It wasn’t but a short period of time that she met Victor Fisher an individual with her same heart and character. Then at age 32, Victor and Melody were married in a small church ceremony in Buford, Georgia.

Soon after their marriage, Melody approached her parents to again pray for her a good job. She said she was tired of dealing with drunks. As it worked out, Victor was in construction and so were her parents. They brought her into their businesses and soon spun off a construction company for her to run. It did not take long for Melody to be involved in large projects. She was soon involved in church construction, the building of motels, high-end residential houses as large as 21,000 square feet. Her company was also a certified 1996 Olympic Contractor during the 1996 Olympics.

In 1999, Melody was diagnosed with breast cancer. Upon going for her 5 year breast cancer clearance, they detected cancer in the lower part of her back. 2 years later it was diagnosed in her liver. During the almost 10 years of her courageous battle with cancer, she never lost her zeal to live, to enjoy life, to uplift and encourage others, and the spending of time in prayer for the needs of others.

Her oncologist Dr. Janice A. Galleshaw said it best, “Melody was such a delight for all of us in this office. As you well know she always came in with a marvelous attitude full of optimism and humor. There were many days that she made a dark day into a bright day for other patients, as well as myself and our staff. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to have gotten to know her better.”

Because they did not have children, as a couple they involved themselves with children in many states in the southeast and were God-Parents of 6 kids in Georgia and Tennessee. Melody’s other interests were cancer walks, breast cancer awareness programs, chemo room ministries, animal interests especially horses, and skiing in Colorado. The last few months of the Fisher’s lives together, they traveled the southeast competing in barbeque cook-offs.

On the morning of June 17, 2009, Melody was rushed to Northside Hospital in Cumming, Georgia. The following morning, June 18, she succumbed and lost her 10 year battle with cancer. Up until she went comatose, she never lost her sense of humor, nor her inner sense of peace. Her final passing from this fleshly body, and into an angelic form was truly a period of peace and serene tranquility. Her funeral, although a sad occasion, was a time of rejoicing, upbeat music, and words of hope and challenges for everyone present to pursue and complete this good work that God has begun in all of us.

Melody, you will be missed by so many, especially your husband Victor, your mother and father and brother Michael. In your behalf, we want to thank your many, many friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers, medical personnel, associates, fellow ladies and men battling the same cancer battle you fought, with cards, flowers, phone calls and emails. We also want to thank those that have sent donations to the Klaudt Indian Memorial Foundation in your memory.

Melody, an enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes, Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, North Dakota, and Victor have played a part in the success of keeping 4 students under scholarship through the Klaudt Indian Family’s Foundation.

The song “Traveling On” reminds all of us to prepare for the inevitable.

Sung by Melody's father and three uncles.

“Eternal Life After This Life.”