Melody Maids Founder Eloise Milam Dies at 100

A Beaumont woman who founded a musical group that became known across the nation and the world, has died.

Eloise Milam died Friday morning after a brief illness. She was 100.

Milam founded the Melody Maids choral group in the early 1940's.

The young women in the group sang at bond rallies to raise money for World War II.

They traveled across the country and across the world from the 1940's until the 1970's, singing for the troops at military bases and military hospitals.

A room inside the Julie Rogers Theater in downtown Beaumont honors the Melody Maids and their founder. It contains photographs, souvenirs and other items from the group's travels.

Over the years, about 15 hundred young women were members of the Melody Maids.

Charlene Leonard was a member of the Melody Maids in the late 1940's when she was a teenager. Leonard remained in the group for about ten years.

"She had 99 years and 11 months of happiness and good health, and the last month of her life is the only time she was down," Leonard told KFDM News.

Leonard said hundreds of former members of the Melody Maids where scheduled to travel to Beaumont for a September 20 celebration of Milam's birthday. Milam turned 100 on September 18 but hurricane evacuations prevented the celebration from taking place.

"She devoted her life to mentoring, teaching and being a friend to hundreds of young women. The imprint she left on young lives will never be forgotten."

Funeral arrangements are pending for Eloise Milam.