Roll Call Tribute

Melanie Caryne Bartek

February 11, 1974 - January 3, 2022

Melanie Caryne Bartek, of Goldthwaite, passed away at her home on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022, after a five and one-half year battle with appendix cancer. She was 47 years old and a faithful follower of Jesus Christ.

Melanie was born in Brownwood, on Feb. 11, 1974, to Charles Thomas Head and Wynona (Wasserman) Head. She graduated as valedictorian of Goldthwaite High School in 1992. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science from Texas A&M University in 1996. She earned a Doctor of Optometry from the University of Houston in 2000.

She married Brandon Lewis Bartek of Poteet, on Dec. 20, 1997, at the Goldthwaite First United Methodist Church. They have three children: Jonathan Lewis Bartek, Connor Thurman Bartek and Emily Caryne Bartek.

After graduating optometry school in June 2000, she opened Mills County Eye Care on the courthouse square in Goldthwaite. After closing her business in 2019, she enjoyed working as an optometrist with Hamilton Health Care System. In addition, she served on the Board of Directors of MCBank for 18 years. She was a member of the Goldthwaite First United Methodist Church where she enjoyed volunteering for VBS and co-taught the junior high/high school Sunday school class with Brandon for many years. Her passions were spending time with family, running (especially 5k races) and snow skiing.

She is survived by her husband, Brandon; son, Jonathan; son, Connor; daughter, Emily, all of Goldthwaite; parents, Tommy (CT) and Wynona Head of Goldthwaite; brother, Karl Head and Mike Schreiber of Dallas; father- and mother-in-law, Larry and Janet Bartek of Poteet; brother- and sisters-in-law Monte and Ann Bartek, of DeQueen, Arkansas; Casey and Brooke Bartek, of Poteet; Bryan and Codi (Bartek) Crouch, of Poteet; numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Thurman and Syble (Miller) Head of Goldthwaite, and August and Edna (Warren) Wasserman of Mullin.

Visitation will be held at Stacy-Wilkins Funeral Home in Goldthwaite on Friday, Jan. 7, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Services will be at the Goldthwaite First United Methodist Church on Saturday, Jan. 8, at 10 a.m. Interment will follow at the Goldthwaite Memorial Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Melanie Bartek Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o MCBank, Goldthwaite, Texas.