Rev. Melvin Hughdeen Grant, age 84, of Moore, OK, died of conges­tive heart failure March 18, 2008. Evangelical accomplish­ments: As an Ordained Bishop of the Church of God, Grant saw and par­ticipated in the changing of hundreds of lives by nothing more explicable than the Spirit of God. While statistics alone do not tell the story, the dates, places and sheet numbers do not reflect the blessings of God upon his min­istry. In the fifty eight years that Grant and his wife worked in the ministry, they were the pastors of ten churches: He served as District Overseer for fourteen years, served on the State Council thirteen years, and on the State Evangelism and State Ministerial Examining Boards for ten years. He preached at seven state convention meetings and also preached to an audience of 20,000 at a gospel music perfor­mance. He has been written about in several publications and maga­zines. Grant has made eight mis­sionary journeys abroad. He min­istered in Austria, Jordan, Israel, Egypt, France, Italy, Greece, Isle of Patmos, Germany, Australia, and British Isles, Paris, Scotland, Thailand, China, Japan, South Ko­rea, Canada, and many states in­cluding Alaska, Hawaii and the commonwealth Puerto Rico. He earned an Associates degree in Agriculture at McAlester, OK after the war and later received his High School Diploma in Moore, OK. Rev. Melvin Grant served his country in one of the worst battles of WWII: Okinawa, serving as a flamethrower operator, he defined the word bravery. After the war, with the help of his family and ulti­mately his faith, he led a rich full life. His love of country and of God had helped make the world a better place. Melvin Grant, whose scrappy upbringing during the Great Depression gave him the sur­vival experience and fortitude to come home a tired hero ready to rebuild a new life in the greatest nation on Earth. His life was well lived. He was the ninth of sixteen children born March 30, 1923 to Elige Buchannan and Hattie Bell Grant. The surviving siblings are Alvin Grant of Napa, CA, Coleta McClelland of Brentwood, CA, Elige Grant, III of Oakley, CA, Clifford Grant of McAlester, OK, and Maxine McClelland of Tuc­son, AZ. He and his wife of 65 years, Kate Weeks Grant, have five children: Laquetta Grant Brummett and her husband Herb Brummett of Atlanta, GA, Gary and his spouse Rosetta of Dallas, TX, Dwight Grant (deceased), Ted Grant and his spouse Sally of Lake Kiowa, TX, Michael Grant and his spouse Angela of OKC, OK 11 grandchil­dren and one on the way, and 12 great grandchildren.