Melery was a wonderfully warm and caring person, loving mother and wife and dedicated Christian.  Her obituary is below.

Melery Jean (Strand) Long, beloved daughter, niece, cousin, sister, wife, mother, friend, and most of all child of God through the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ, went home to be with her Lord on Sunday, July 10th, 2005, at 12:35am, having fought the good fight and finishing the course with her eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of her faith, to the end. 

Melery, born June 27, 1958, is survived by her husband Chuck Long and her children Joshua, Caleb, Brandon, Meghan, Lindsay, Rebecca and Kelsea, all of Pataskala; her parents Melvin and Merry Strand of Sharon, WI; brother Marlin (Colleen) Strand of Walworth, WI; Marilyn (John) Lane of Newport News, BA; Marlene (Joey) Deschler of Spring Grove, MN; Michael (Leah) Strand of Menomonee Falls, WI; several nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and many brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Though our hearts are saddened, and Melery will be missed, we rejoice with her knowing that she now stands in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ and has heard Him say to her “Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Master.” While here on earth, and now in heaven, she was pleasing to the Lord and she now enjoys being in His physical presence, no longer seeing Him with eyes of faith but face to face.