Melissa JoAnn Davis, 48, of Mountain Grove, Missouri, passed away July 27, 2019, in Springfield, Missouri. Those who knew her know how many times she was able to miraculously outrun the afterlife. She was born February 3, 1971, to John Lee and Sharon Elaine (Ford-Cronk) Brown.

She was preceded in death by her father, John; her mother, Sharon; her step-father, Bobby Nicholson; her grandparents, Jasper Ford, Robert & JoAnn Brown, and Clifford & Flora Mae Nicholson; and her uncle, Harry Cronk.

Melissa is survived by her fiancé, Dale S. Adams, whom she lived with; her sister, Kimberly (Kym) Brown, St. Charles, MO. and her children William Heilman, III, Irvington. TX. and s/o Brittney Mulkey as well as their children Liam and Mallorie; Dustyn Heilman, and wife, Miranda, Mountain Home, ID. and their son, D.J.; Caleb Campbell, San Antonio, TX.; Trevor Campbell, Chesterfield, MO.; Treyton Campbell, St. Louis, MO.; her brothers: Robert Brown, and wife, Jessica, Lavon, TX. and their children John and Chloe; Matthew Brown, and wife, Rachel, Medford, OR. and their children Jacob, Analyn and Nora. She has many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. She is also survived by her grandparents Allen and Patricia Cronk, Jacksonville, FL.

Melissa, although born in Florida, spent most of her childhood in Houston, TX. She left Houston for the carnival life at the tender age of 17. She enjoyed the constant traveling, but once she became an aunt, she just had to settle down. She adored and spoiled her nephews and she always tried to be the "fun" aunt. She was thrilled when she became a Great-Aunt. Melissa spent a lot of her life ill and in and out of hospitals and nursing rehabs where she would always come home having made new friends. When she was well, she was the life of the party, the best laugh in the room, sharp and quick-witted. She was highly intelligent and could beat the socks of anyone she played a game with. Dale says that Melissa was the most beautiful person he's ever met, and he loves her more than anything. Melissa will be remembered for her intense ability to love. Her heart was bigger than Texas and the last part of her physical body to give up.

There will be no services as her wish was to donate her body to research and hopefully find some answers for people with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, which she was born with.