Funeral services will be conducted by Peters Funeral Home for Melvin "Mel" Arthur Vaux on Friday, November 3, 2006, at 10am, at the Ebenezer Reformed Church – 235 James St. Shafter. Interment will follow at Shafter Memorial Park. Pastor Vernon Pollema of the Ebenezer Reformed Church will officiate. Melvin was born on September 20, 1921, in Hillman, Minnesota, to Elroy and Ruby Vaux. In his younger years his family moved to Duluth, Minnesota, where he attended school. In 1943, he enlisted in the United States Air Force; training with B17 and B29 Bombers. In 1944, he was sent to Saipan with the B29 group where he was authorized to work on the B29's. At the end of WWII he went to Seattle, Washington, but weather was too wet so he moved to Shafter where he worked for Nikkel Iron Works. There he met Laura Bender whom he married on February 28, 1947. In the late 1940's and early 1950's he owned and drove Midget Race Cars. For many years he owned and operated Mel's Farm Service in Shafter. In 1968, he and his wife moved to Boulder City, Nevada, where he opened a machine shop. In 1984, he moved to Arizona, where he helped to plan and build an airpark. He loved to fly his 1946 Ercoupe. He is a member of Ebenezer Reformed Church in Shafter. Melvin is survived by his wife of 59 years, Laura; daughter, Janice Williams of Bakersfield; 3 granddaughters, Erin Williams, Tara Williams and Kristan Williams all of Bakersfield; 2 sisters, Florence Konrad of Stockton and Lula Jordan of Temecula, Ca; and many nieces and nephews. In Lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Ebenezer Reformed Church Memorial Fund.