Melvin Dolpha Warren

Melvin Dolpha Warren, 94, of McGregor, passed away on January 31, 2016. Services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, at Columbus Avenue Baptist Church with Ralph Rummage and Stan Foskett officiating. Burial will follow at Harris Creek Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3, at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home. Melvin was born on June 29, 1921, on a farm in Lorena, Texas, the oldest of four children born to Dolpha and Fannie (Mcllhaney) Warren. He attended Lorena Schools, graduating in 1938. His first job was working for his cousin Clyde Warren on a thrashing machine, making 10 cents an hour. He married Dorothy Markum in 1940. The couple had three children, Melvin D. Warren Jr., Melton Wayne and Martha Lynn. Melvin worked in a Houston ship yard building Liberty Ships and then working sheet metal before he was drafted into the US Navy Reserve. He was stationed in the Navy Air Craft Division at Corpus Boot Camp when the war ended. He was honorably discharged in 1945. Melvin returned home to the Waco area and worked for General Tire before going back to sheet metal until retirement. He was a member of Union No. 67 for Sheet Metal Workers from 1948 until he retired 1986. Melvin accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior in 1937 and was baptized in the Bosque River. He was a member of Harris Creek Baptist Church and then Columbus Avenue Baptist Church. He was active in both churches, including serving as a deacon. After retirement, Melvin joined Texas Baptist Men Builders. It was while volunteering with TBM that he met Mable Tatum Moran. They were married on March 17, 1990. Together, the couple served with TBM in Texas, throughout the United States and internationally. He built countless churches, camp buildings and furniture that will impact numerous generations to come. His biggest hobby was woodworking, which he used it to minister to those he encountered by giving them handmade crosses. He was dedicated to serving the Lord and telling everyone he met that Jesus is the son of God who came from Heaven to live a perfect life on Earth, was crucified, and rose from the grave defeating death and making the way so that God's love and grace is freely available to all who believe. He was preceded in death by an infant son, Melvin D. Warren Jr.; sisters, Virginia Miller and Francis Chandler and their husbands, Freddie Miller and Jack Chandler. Melvin is survived by his wife, Mable Warren; children, Wayne Warren Raborn of China Spring, Martha Neill of Hewitt, Bob Moran of Red Oak, Hellen Ballard of Colorado Springs, Colo., Roblyn Wood of Jacksonville, Fla., Kathy Page of Rolesville, NC, Stephen Moran of Houston, and Bonnie Sorrells of Duncanville; brother, Jim Warren of McGregor; 19 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great-grandchild; and numerous nieces and nephews. The pallbearers will be grandson, Dwayne Raborn and nephews, Ron Miller, David Miller, Richard Warren, Mark Warren, and Archie Chandler. Honorary pallbearers will be members of Texas Baptist Men. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Texas Baptist Men, 5351 Catron Dr., Dallas, TX, 75227. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in our “Memorial Guestbook” at www.WHBfamily.com.