Frances Collier Franklin

Funeral services for Frances Franklin, 95, of Whitehouse will be at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, April 22 at Whitehouse First Baptist Church with Rev. Harold Davis and Edith Brewer officiating. Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. In the Fellowship Hall of the church. A private family graveside service will be held at Lakeside Cemetery in Stamps, Arkansas at a later date. Arrangements are under direction of Lloyd James Funeral Home of Tyler and A.O. Smith Funeral Home of Stamps, Arkansas.

Frances Salon Collier was born on July 28, 1925, to the late Gradie and Aileen Smith Collier at their farm home near Stamps, Arkansas. She passed away at her home on Monday, April 19, 2021.

She attended Stamps Public School. During high school, she was a band majorette & a member of the flag corps.

She met Clifton Franklin at a church revival and they were married on May 25, 1941. After his service in the Army during World War II, they traveled throughout Arkansas, Louisiana & Texas as he worked on oil derricks. As he continued his career with Cities Service as a well tender, they lived in Waskom & Elysian Fields, Texas for several years before being transferred to Vivian, Louisiana and then Odessa, Texas in 1963. After retirement in 1985, they moved to Whitehouse to be closer to their family.

Frances was a 'frugal' homemaker who used her creative skills to provide a warm, comfortable home and delicious meals for the family and many friends. She supported the activities of Clifton and their children – was involved in PTA (served as President for 2 years), Band Boosters, & sports activities.

She was always involved with a local Baptist church wherever they lived and joined Whitehouse First Baptist Church when they moved here.

Frances was a friendly outgoing person who worked numerous jobs – telephone operator, desk clerk and then Assistant Manager of the Inn of the Golden West in Odessa, and office manager for Dick Glover Oil Company. Frances and Clifton developed lifelong friends everywhere they lived & traveled. She enjoyed reading, bowling, attending golf tournaments, watching Jeff Gordon compete in car-racing and RVing around the lower 48 states as well as Canada & Alaska. Later she kept busy with Mah Jong and weekly family dinners of the 5 generations.

Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, sister, Forrest Beasley and brother, Jim Collier and his wife, Doris and son-in-law, Edward Evans. Left to cherish her memory are her 2 children, Robert Franklin and Carolyn Evans, both of Whitehouse; 2 grandsons of Whitehouse, Terry Evans and wife Tammy – their daughters, Stephanie Priest and husband Tim (Gracie, Zachary & Henry), Ashley Priest and husband Jeremy, & Jamie Evans (Bella); and Scott Evans and wife Amaliz – their children, Josie and Brody; and her 'third child', Cookie, a Pomeranian.

The family would like to thank Dr. Michal Phillips and her staff of Whitehouse and Paradigm Homecare of Tyler for many years of medical care and Heart to Heart Hospice for their compassionate care over the last year.

If desired, memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Alliance of Smith County, 211 Winchester, Tyler, 75701 (www.alzheimersalliance.org) or to the Building Fund of Whitehouse First Baptist Church, 801 E. Main St., Whitehouse, Tx. 75791.