Melda Elizabeth Ayres, 59, of Prospect, PA, died the afternoon of November 11, 2010 in Butler Memorial Hospital.Born September 5, 1951 in Ellwood City, PA, she was a daughter of Howard (Hoot) Stanford Sr. and Betty Jane Duncan Stanford. She married Richard T. Ayres, Jr., on September 17, 1971. Melda was a Slippery Rock High School graduate. She was formerly employed by Lawrence County Head Start and Golden Hill Nursing Home. She was then employed with Concordia Visiting Nurses.Melda enjoyed going to yard sales, fishing, woodworking and spending time with her grandchildren. She was a wonderful mother who was always caring and outgoing. Melda loved her dog, Duke.She was a member of Church of Genesis.In addition to her husband and her mother, she is survived by two daughters Jennifer Ayres and her companion Jim Turner of Poland, OH and Mary Jane Ayres of New Castle; two sons and their wives, Rich and Deanna Locke Ayres and Ryan and Nicole Reynolds Ayres all of New Castle; three brothers; Howard (Hoot) and Margie Stanford, Jr., and John and Debbie Stanford all of Prospect, and Steve Stanford and his companion Jessie Luce of Butler, PA; one sister, Lynn and Ron Hill, Sr., of New Castle; and seven grandchildren, Austin, Brayden and Logan Ayres, Derek, Arianna and Natalie Ayres and Hailey Fulkman.She is preceded in death by her father.Visitation will be Sunday, November 14, 2010 from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the R. Cunningham Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc., 2429 Wilmington Road, New Castle.A funeral service will be held Sunday, November 14, 2010, at 5:00 p.m. at the funeral home. The Rev. Ronald Eade will officiate. Burial will be in Graceland Cemetery.