Franklin "Frankie" Meyer

As a fourth-generation Texan who was born January 17, 1934, the son of Daniel W. Meyer and Dora Conrads Meyer, he was delivered by midwife in a cabin near the Comal River crossing at W. Lincoln Street, New Braunfels, Texas.

He grew up in areas including Martindale - where his grandfather produced a highly-regarded variety of cotton seed - Carrizo Springs, and other towns in South Texas where his mother taught English to Spanish-speaking first and second-graders. He enjoyed being the only boy in Home Economics classes at San Marcos High School and he studied mathematics at Southwest Texas State Teachers College (now Texas State) before enlisting in the United States Air Force.

After basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, he went to Kinston, NC for cadets training in the PA-18 and T-6 trainers and Bryan, TX for training in the T-28 and T-33. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and assigned to the Strategic Air Command as a pilot of the Boeing B-47 Stratojet; SAC's first entirely jet-powered strategic bomber.

His 3-man crew spent several months at RAF Mildenhall in England during the height of the Cold War. His jet carried a nuclear bomb that had to be armed by hand within a tight space. The radiation from this process left him with a permanent scar on the tip of his nose.

While stationed at the former Smoky Hill Air Force Base in Salinas, Kansas, he met Deloris "Dee" McClaflin. His flight schedule and her work left the morning of July 4th, 1956 as the only time available for them to be married. His Bachelor Officer Quarters roommate, Chaplin Robert Wallman officiated.

Upon leaving the service, they moved to the Smithson Valley area and had three children, Terry, Vicky, and Jerry. He managed the Herman Conrads Charolais ranch that produced a National Champion heifer in 1965. After years of working for his Opa, the couple settled nearby with a herd and ranch of their own.

He earned the designations of Real Estate broker and appraiser. He also worked as a Republican election judge, was a member of the volunteer fire department, and supported various school and athletic programs, including hosting the Smithson Valley Homecoming bonfire.

Frankie is preceded by his parents and by his wife Dee, who shared his life for 60 years before her passing on December 20, 2015. He is survived by two cousins, Bettye Jean and Sylvia, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren from his daughter, and a cat called "the cat."

Graveside services will be at 10:00 AM on Monday, January 18, 2021 at Comal Cemetery. Flowers or a donation to EdenHill Communities are appreciated.