Joel moved his family to Butler County, Missouri to work in the timber business. They lived in a tent north of Qulin at the end of the railroad tracks. He had two team of oxen and two horses with which to log. The area was known as Gumstump. He worked for "Brokerage and Cooper". Later he farmed the "Sunny Tompkin Farm", then moved to "Linky Farm" north of Qulin. A river separated the farms. A trip down the river to the ferry crossing was a full days trip, so they took the corn from the crib on the Tompkin farm, sacked it, loaded it in a boat and unloaded it on the Linky farm on the other side of the river. They later moved to Nation Bend. While baling hay, Frank slapped the reins to make the team move, the horses bolted, breaking the double-tree of the wagon. The double-tree snapped up and broke Frank's leg. The leg had to be amputated and he died about two days later. He was buried in the "Webb Cemetery" in Arkansas but near Qulin Missouri. The river was flooded at the time of Martha's death, so she is buried at Qulin Cemetery.

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Obituary from The Rolla Herald-Democrat. Jan 1908:

In Dulin [sic - should be Qulin], Butler Co., Mo., January 15th, 1908, Mr. Joel Franklin Melton, aged 60 years, 3 months and 14 days.

Frank Melton, (as he was always called) was born in Phelps County and was a son of Lewis Haydon and Margaret R. Melton, and of a family of eleven children, Mr. Ely [sic] Melton, of Edgars, surviving. Oct. 26th, 1873, Mr. Melton was joined in marriage with Miss Martha Ann Mathis, a sister of Mr. I.T. Mathis, of Flat, Mo., and unto them were born 14 children, 11 surviving. Mr. Melton lived in Phelps County until a few years ago he moved to Butler Co. to work in the lumber business and on the first of January, 1908, he was working with a hay bailer when the double tree broke and the lever flew back and broke his leg at the knee joint, which caused him to suffer greatly and on the 15th day of January the doctors met to amputate his leg, and in his weakened condition he sank under the influence of choloroform [sic] and died in the operation.

Mrs. Melton and family have the sympathy of all who know them.