Melvin died peacefully on November 28th at Shawnee Mission Medical Center in Merriam, KS. He was born October 11, 1928 to Carl Drath Jr. and Mary (Kaiser) Drath on a farm near Colome, S.D. He loved his family, gardening and working with tools. He worked in the paint manufacturing industry for 44 years in Omaha, Kansas City and Houston. After retiring in 1994, Melvin and his wife Betty worked building church facilities for Lutheran Laborers For Christ from 1994 to 2004. Melvin was an active member of Gethsemane Lutheran church for more than 30 years.

Melvin was preceded by his parents, his wife of 62 years, Betty, two sons: Dwayne Marvin and David Michael Drath, two sisters: Fay Fresh and Shirley Hynek, one brother-in-law Donald Spiker.

Melvin is survived by two sons: Dennis Drath and his wife Rebecca, Craig Drath and his wife Katharine; five grandchildren: Jennifer Vanderlip and her husband Lee, Christopher Drath and his wife Kelly, Anthony, Alexander, and Abigail Drath; five great-grandchildren: Brandon, Ashley, Logan and Elizabeth Drath, and Rhiannon Vanderlip, sisters: Leona Turner, Doris Spiker, Betty Turner and husband William, brother: Donald Drath and his wife Diana and God-daughter/niece Janet Kaiser and many nephews and nieces and a host of friends.

Visitation will be 6-8pm, Friday, December 5, 2014 at McGilley & Hoge Johnson County Memorial Chapel. His final resting place will be Forest Lawn Cemetery of Omaha, Nebraska alongside his beloved wife and infant son. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made in Melvin's memory to the Lone Star Camp Scholarship fund for the youth of Gethsemane Lutheran Church, Gethsemane Lutheran Church, 4040 Watonga Blvd., Houston, Texas 77092-5399 or Laborers for Christ, Lutheran Church Extension Fund, 10733 Sunset Office Drive, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63127-1020 or you may visit their website at http://lcef.org/gifting/direct_gifts.cfm.