Memories of my mother and father

Seems my parents are always on my mind, missing them is  a reality of life on earth.  My niece April Wyatt sent this photo she took many years ago now.  My dad (Gene ) and mom (Martha)  are enjoying Heaven together and I would not want it any other way.   Dad passed away  on  July 12, 2018 (8 years ago) and Mom passed away Dec 17, 2023 (almost 3 years ago)   

Click to view /read their obituary online... 

 Rev Gene Franklin    and 

 Martha Rice Franklin   
 

Finally got the blog post done - click link to view - Congrats to Natalie!

  https://franklybaggs.blogspot.com/2026/05/natalie-graduates-from-bju-on-may-8th.html

WW II 1944-1946 - Dad served his country in the U S Navy

 Thanks you, Dad, for your service to our country in WW II , U S NAVY, 1944-1946!

Gene Franklin is pictured on the last row,  6th from the left. 

Missing my mom on Mother's Day

 This year will be a  year of first.  Sunday May 12th was the first Mother's day without mom.  She is enjoying Heaven this year. 

Yes, that's me,  pictured with mom in 1956!

Martha Loretta Rice Franklin (August 26, 1933 - December 17, 2023 )

 

Martha Rice Franklin, 90, entered into the presence of her Lord, and Savior, on Sunday, December 17, 2023.  She was born on August 26, 1933, in Caroleen, NC, a daughter of the late John Sherman Rice and Ethel Mae Allen Rice. For over 66 years she was the devoted and loving wife of the late Rev. Homer Eugene Franklin. 

Martha and her late husband were founders of Calvary Baptist Church of Cowpens, SC. Her ministry was serving the Lord by playing the piano, being a longtime Sunday School and Vacation Bible School teacher, and supporting her church any way that she could. Martha and her husband also led church services at White Oak Estates for many years. 

A dedicated and hard worker, Martha retired from Pentex (Alcon) in Cowpens and formerly was employed with Converse Mills. 

Martha is survived by her children, Tim Franklin (Cindy) of Lawrenceville, Ga, Deborah F. Logan (Charlie) of Jacksonville, FL, and Loretta Franklin of Boiling Springs, SC; 8 grandchildren, Kenny Arthur, Ben Arthur, Jonathan Logan, April Wyatt, Philip Logan, Joshua Franklin, Stephen Franklin and Brandon Franklin; and 25 great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by a son, Stephen Anthony Franklin, and siblings, Louise McDaniel and James Rice. 

The family will receive friends from 1:00-1:45 p.m. Thursday, December 28, 2023, at Calvary Baptist Church of Cowpens, 451 Pleasant Valley Road, Spartanburg, SC 29307. Funeral service will follow in the sanctuary at 2:00 p.m., conducted by the Rev. Jeff Jones and the Rev. Joshua Franklin.  Burial will be in the church cemetery. 

The family will be at the home. 

Flowers will be accepted, or memorials may be made to Calvary Baptist Church of Cowpens, P.O. Box 1811, Cowpens, SC 29330. 

Floyd’s North Church Street 

OBITUARY AND SLIDE VIDEO posted at https://www.floydmortuary.com/obituaries/martha-franklin

Dad was one of the "greatest generation"

 Dad was one of the “greatest generation” he served in WWII - my sister decorated his grave for the 4th - he would be happy! 

remembering those already in Heaven

C 

 Cindy and I took my mother to visit the grave of her son and my brother, Stephen Anthony. He lived only a few hours after birth on October 26,  1956.   He is buried beside our Grandpa and Grandma Franklin at Thompson Chapel Cemetery.   Sadly , he would have been 67 this October.  

Those were the good old days

My dad is standing on the left in this photo from around 1942.

He would have been 16 years old.  His brother Lawrence is standing at back, 

and his brother Howard at the right.  

 

Old Family Photos

 Just found this photo of my mother, Martha Rice (Franklin) which was taken at age 13 1/2 or 14 years of age.   I think this is about the age she caught her "future" husband's eye while she was playing piano at a revival service.  

Ancestors from Scotland

 I was able to help my grandson Gideon do an ancestors project for school in PA this week. Using our ancestry.com  family tree, we were able to see that on my mother's side of the  family , her 6th great grandfather Hector McIntosh was born in 1750 in Scotland.  He married Mary McCoy (who was born in America)  in 1782 in North Carolina. We can only guess how old he was when he immigrated to America.  They both died in North Carolina.  Gideon also made this drawing of what Hector may have looked like.  We know the Scottish brought over the bagpiping tradition and wore tartan (kilts).  

Cookies from aunt Emily's recipe

 We are taking these no bake Chocolate Oatmeal Fudge cookies to our Christmas Eve in Cowpens family Christmas party tonight.  Aunt Emily taught me how make these when I was a kid. She also taught me how to eat Hershey's chocolate bars with popcorn, but that is another story for another day!

Thankful for those who served our hometown of Cowpens

 Uncle Albert (Knot) Dorman served on the police force 

in Cowpens, SC in the 1960's  (pictured at left)  

Memories are made of this...

 Memories were made here...if walls could talk....I was glad to see this old cotton mill is being renovated  instead of being razed.  Originally Clifton mill no. 3, it was destroyed by flood in the early 1900's then rebuilt and became Converse Cotton Mill (on US 29 between Cowpens  and Spartanburg). 

When her youngest child was old enough to go to school,  my mother went to work as the Converse Cotton Mill as a "spare". As a spare hand she had to show up for work each morning just in case they needed her that day, and if not, then she went back home.  A friend of the family took her and waited for her just in case he had to take her back home. 

 What a neat town Cowpens was back in the day!  When i was a kid, all the stores closed at 2 pm on Wednesdays, so folks could have time to make it to church that night.  Of course, all stores were closed all day on Sunday. 

Now after being closed down since the late 1970's, someone has purchased the property and is renovating the old mill  into 175 loft apartments.  The renovations will  cost about $50 million and should be finished in late 2022. 

Celebrating 44 years of marriage today - Cindy and Tim

 Special memory from June 4 1977 as Cindy and I tied the knot

The wedding was in Chattanooga as i had to go to summer school to finish college.

our families traveled from South Carolina (mine) and Arkansas (hers) to be there for the wedding.

So many memories, God has blessed us with 44 years today! 

Happy Birthday to our niece April ! (Born March 20)

 

Wishing a "Happy Birthday" to our niece April Logan Wyatt , pictured with her husband Robbie and daughters 

Hope you had a great day! 

Remembering the Fallen on Memorial Day 2020

On this Memorial Day, we remember my grandfather's brother, 

Private John P Franklin.

He died at the young age of 23 while serving our country , at the end of World War I, 

on Feb 19 1919.  His grave is at High Shoal Baptist Church cemetery in NC. 

Grateful he was willing to give his all that we might have freedom.

Dianne Dorman Pettit (May 01, 1946 - September 17, 2019)

SPARTANBURG, SC- Dianne Dorman Pettit, 73, answered the roll call in heaven today. She fought strong in her journey home and God gave her rest on Tuesday, September 17, 2019. She was among family and friends and peacefully walked through heaven's gate. Dianne was married 37 years to the late Cecil Ray Pettit Sr. of Cowpens, SC, and is survived by her four children: C. Ray Pettit Jr. (Bernadette) of Moore, SC, James A. Pettit (Kathy) of Reidville, SC, Miranda L. Pettit of Inman, SC, and Preston R. Pettit (Christy) of Mansfield, TX. 

She has fifteen grandchildren: Christopher (Bri) Pettit, Matthew (Arianna) Pettit, Andrew Pettit, Joshua Pettit, Erica Pettit, Jacob Pettit, Austin (Elizabeth) Pettit, Kayla Pettit, Daniel Pettit, Rachel Pettit, Benjamin Pettit, Emily (Chris) Blaine, Ashlyn Stubbs, Haley Stubbs and Seth Stubbs. She also has eight great-grandchildren, Liam and Nora Pettit, Matthew Pettit Jr., Marley Adair, Kieran Johnson, Carter Pettit, Ava Stubbs, and Sophia Blaine.

Dianne was the daughter of the late Annie Mae Franklin Dorman and Albert J. Dorman of Cowpens SC. She has two sisters; Gloria Dorman Walker and the late Barbara Dorman Wilkie. She is also survived by her brother-in-law, James H. "Jimmy" Pettit Jr. and sisters-in-law, Phyllis Swofford and Regina Pettit.

Dianne dearly loved her family and friends, but nothing compared to her love for her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As a believer, she served God faithfully in numerous capacities including Choir, Drama, Hospitality, Bible Classes and Visitations. She faithfully attended many local churches and was an active member of Restoration/Hope Church. Dianne was a talented singer and loved to worship and honor the Lord through song. She loved to fellowship with church families and developed many lifelong friendships through Christ. She also loved to spend lots of time with her children and grandchildren. Dianne took advantage of every opportunity to have a great adventure with those she loved. She especially loved to go on Disney trips with her family and watch movies with friends and family.

Dianne spent much of her early life as a devoted wife and stay-at-home mother raising four children. She was a doting mom who meticulously cared for her children. She loved spending time with them as kids and as adults. Eventually, she joined the work force and worked numerous jobs to help support the family. As Ray's health declined, she worked tirelessly as the sole "bread winner" while also supporting his ever-increasing medical needs.

During those tough years, Dianne placed more faith in God and she grew spiritually stronger and more self-sufficient. When Ray passed away, Dianne continued to work for another fifteen years to support herself and enjoyed numerous family trips and adventures. Her strength, determination, and faith in God allowed her to live the life she wanted for many years after his death.

She never remarried. And today, after eighteen years of waiting to be reunited, heaven has been realized and she's finally back in the arms of the only man she ever loved. We'll miss her dearly here on earth, but we take comfort in knowing that she is no longer bound to years of bodily suffering anymore. She saw Jesus this morning. He made her new.

Visitation for family and friends will be 12:00 noon – 1:45 PM Friday, September 20, 2019, at Floyd's Greenlawn Chapel, 2075 E. Main St., Spartanburg. SC 29307, with funeral services following at 2:00 PM, conducted by Pastor James Pettit and The Rev. Tony Cribb. Interment will be in Daniel Morgan Memorial Gardens, 175 Cemetery St., Cowpens, SC 29330.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Hope Church, 102 John Dodd Road, Spartanburg, SC 29303.
An online guest register is available at www.floydmortuary.com
Floyd's Greenlawn Chapel

OBIT Published in Spartanburg Herald-Journal on Sept. 18, 2019

Quilting by Grandma Mattie Bell Franklin

My cousin Judy recently gave us some quilts and toppings that belong to Grandma Franklin.

We took them with us to Wisconsin on vacation, and Leah and her mom gave us some good ideas about finishing the quilts. We also learned that some of the quilt pictured was hand stitched and some of it was machine stitched.  

Memories of a proud American

My dad, Gene Franklin 

Proud to be an American 

He served his country in World Way II 

Photo at the Cowpens SC Veterans Memorial 

Park in 2010 

We remember - Private John P Franklin, my great uncle, killed in action WWI

Thanks for your service and giving your all for your country! 

My Grandfather C C Clinton's brother 

John P Franklin 

Born Dec 9 1895  

Killed in action , World War I 

on Feb 19 1919  at 23 years of age

He is buried at High Shoal Baptist Church Cemetery  in Mooresville NC