An ornament made in memory of Clarksville resident Melinda Roellig, who died from COVID-19 in November.
(Courtesy of Alexandra Roellig)
As an art and music teacher in southern Indiana, Melinda Roellig inspired her students through building relationships and investing in students as individuals. Her younger sister Alexandra never saw her teach, but through talking to many of her students these last few weeks she feels she has a good sense of why she was successful in the classroom.
“The impact she had on their lives, and the way she poured her heart into every child… and just changing their lives in general," Alexandra said.
The stories from her students are memories for her family to hold close.
Melinda was just 37 years old when she died from COVID-19 on Nov. 15.
Alexandra is 11 years younger and works for the Medical School of South Carolina setting up COVID-19 testing sites. She talked to Melinda the day her sister began having symptoms and told her what to look for to trigger a trip to the hospital.
"I told her that I loved her and that’s the last time I talked to my sister," she said.
Melinda lived in Clarksville with her mother, a traveling nurse who was on the road treating COVID patients the week her daughter got sick. When she returned home she found Melinda struggling to breathe and called 911. Her blood oxygen level had dropped to 60, her temperature was 102 and her heart rate was 140.
She died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
Melinda Roellig. (Courtesy of Alexandra Roellig)
Alexandra recalls how her sister inspired her to get into music. She lived in South Carolina with their father and she would visit Indiana to watch Melinda play trombone in the Jeffersonville High School Marching Band. She decided to march in her high school band and play trumpet and French horn.
Melinda taught music in public school before her job was eliminated. She was hired at Rock Creek Community Academy near Sellersburg to teach art.
Her talent in art made for special Christmas gifts.
“She always made her gifts from the heart," Alexandra said.
Like the Christmas ornament she hand painted for Alexandra in 2016 that incorporated her favorite colors in detailed swirls and designs – purple, teal, a little bit of pink, yellow as accents - and glitter, which she knew Alexandra loved.
“Looking at it gives me a lot of joy and smiles by knowing she’s still there with me on Christmas," she said.
Melinda also loved dogs. She helped her mother raise Shar-Pei puppies.
“She loved, loved, loved her dogs," Alexandra said. "One of them had puppies two days after my sister passed away. Her mom named one of them after my sister.”
That’s Mel’s Melody, nicknamed M&M. Alexandra shares her sister’s love of dogs – and of Harry Potter. The two talked about designing a Harry Potter-themed Christmas tree for this year.
After Melinda died, Alexandra did it.
"I was like, 'I’m going to make that happen,'" Alexandra said. "For the first two weeks after my sister passed away all I did was search everywhere for Harry Potter ornaments. And now I have a complete little Harry Potter Christmas tree that I’m dedicating to my sister.”
As a person who sets up COVID-19 testing clinics for a living, Alexandra knows the virus can strike anyone, anywhere, anytime.
Her sister had no pre-existing conditions, despite what one media report suggested. Her cause of death was COVID-caused cardiomyopathy. She did not have it before contracting the virus.
“She would still be here with us if it wasn’t for COVID," Alexandra said.
Her message to others?
“Wearing a mask is not living in fear," she said. "Wearing a mask is just showing your love and respect to your neighbors and friends so another loved one can go home to their family so no one else would have to experience the loss and pain that my family has had to experience this year. And it doesn’t matter how old you are. You can be old, you can be young, and it can take your life."
A memorial for Melinda Roellig is expected to be held at a later date.
For the latest news and resources about COVID-19, bookmark our Coronavirus In Indiana page here.
