Melvin Edgar Franklin, 85, of Orange, passed away on April 21, 2015, at Oakwood Manor in Vidor.

Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m., Saturday, April 25, 2015, at Claybar Funeral Home in Orange. Burial will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens in Orange.

Visitation will be 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m., Friday, April 24, 2015, at Claybar Funeral Home in Orange.

Born in Kelly, Louisiana, on August 11, 1929, he was the son of Joseph Edgar Franklin and Frances Ethel Volentine Franklin. Melvin worked as a process operator at DuPont SRW for 37 years before retiring. He was a devoted family man who enjoyed fishing and gardening. Melvin was a kind and gentle man who will be missed by many.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Ethel Franklin; wife, Clara Marie Guidry Franklin; daughter, Mary Elizabeth Franklin; grandson, Daniel Jacob Salim; brothers, R.T. Franklin and Cleveland Franklin; sisters, Willie Marie Vincent and Vernice Caraway; nieces and nephews, Sherrill Wayne Franklin, Wayland Caraway, Davis Franklin, Dennis Franklin, and Theresa Vincent Wilhite.

Melvin is survived by his children, Annette Shaw and husband, Edward of Orange and Beverly Salim and husband, Sam of Lumberton; granddaughter, Maria Michelle Salim; four great-grandchildren, Jakob, Gavin, Lyra, and Reilly; and his brother, Sherrill M. Franklin.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation may be made to the American Diabetes Association at P.O. Box 11454 Alexandria, VA 22312.