Melvin Francis was born on June 19, 1926 to John Frank and Flossie J (Sappington) Woodruff. He was the second of four children born to John and Flossie. He passed from this life on March 6, 2018 at the age of 91. He attended school in Cowden, Oklahoma through the ninth grade, then started working at various farm-related jobs, in addition to helping his father. When Melvin was 20 years old, he volunteered for a tour of duty in the U.S. army near the end of WWII. After receiving his basic and infantry training, he arrived in Japan for duty, only to learn that he had been reassigned to fill in a gap in the “medical unit”. He was later called back to the U.S. because of a medical issue with his father Frank and was later granted an honorable discharge, so he did not return for duty in Japan. On August 7, 1949, Melvin married his sweetheart, Mary Fern House at her parents’ home near Carter, Oklahoma. To this union three children were born. Together they farmed and sold cream and eggs for extra income. The family operated an AMPI dairy for more than 16 years where they milked as many as 100 head of cows twice a day EVERY day of the year! Melvin and Mary Fern then went into partnership with their son Alvin and wife, Anita. They remained involved in the dairy business for another six years. Melvin served on the Alfalfa school board, was a member of the Cowden Farmers’ Gin, the American Milk Producers, Inc. and the Northside Church of Christ in Cordell, Oklahoma. He was an avid Rook player and enjoyed fishing and traveling with friends (as soon as the children were old enough to help run the dairy). Melvin was preceded in death by his parents, brother John and sister Laura Etta Richey. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, his three children, Gary and wife Leslie of Carnegie, Oklahoma, Alvin and wife Anita of Watonga, Oklahoma, and daughter Marita and husband Ronnie McKee of Cordell, OK. He is also survivied by his grandchildren, Andra Speerbrecher and husband Shannon, Stefannye Prange and husband Tye, April Woodruff, Tiffany Robison and husband Dwight, Todd Woodruff and fiance ´ Christine Burns, Justin McKee and wife Michele, Angela Hanes and husband Ryan, and Ryan McKee and wife Amber and nine great-grandchildren. Visitation was held Friday, March 9, 2018 from 9:00 a.m., ~ 8:00 p.m., at Ray & Martha’s Funeral Home in Cordell, Oklahoma. Funeral Service was Saturday, March 10, 2018 at 2:00 p.m at Northside Church of Christ in Cordell, Oklahoma Interment was at Sappington Chapel Cemetery Cowden, Oklahoma.