George Fredrick Franklin, 91, of Cleveland, TN, passed away Tuesday, April 22, 2014 at his home.
Mr. Franklin was the son of the late George R. Franklin and Mary Ellen Buster Franklin; and was also preceded in death by a son, Floyd Blackwell; his sisters, Nellie Wilcoxon, Lucy Randolph, Nona Hannah, Essie Jenkins and Bessie Franklin; his brothers, Jake Franklin, James “Cotton” Franklin and William Franklin; his step-mother, Thursa Franklin; great-granddaughters, Addison Goodner and Kendall Scoggins; and a son-in-law, Bill Adkins.
Mr. Franklin was a retired World War II Army Veteran with over 23 years of service. At the time of his retirement he held the rank of Sargent 1st Class. He was a Field Artillery Crewman. After his retirement he worked at several different places in the Cleveland area and retired from Eaton Corporation. He enjoyed telling stories of his past and taking care of his yard and grandkids. He was a member of the Cookson Creek Baptist Church.
He is survived by his daughters, Helen Adkins, Judy Stanfill and her husband Mike, Becky Crabtree and her husband Don, Linda Nichols and her husband Jeff and Brenda Burns and her husband Joe; grandchildren, David Strickland, Cassie Gaston, Blake Crabtree, Jenna Crabtree, Tanner Goodner, Chad Goodner, Taylor Nichols, Reid Burns, Billy Adkins, Lisa Carson, Tammy Blackstone, Lee Stanfill and Nichole Floyd; ten great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; half-sister, Mary Johnson; several nieces and nephews; and a special friend, Magdalene Wilcoxon.
A Remembrance of Life Service will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 25, at the Wildwood Ave. Chapel of the Jim Rush Funeral Homes with Rev. Herb Connelly officiating. Interment, with full military honors, will follow in the Cookson Creek Baptist Church cemetery with grandsons, Blake Crabtree, David Strickland, Billy Adkins, Tanner Goodner, Reid Burns, Lee Stanfill and Taylor Nichols serving as honorary pallbearers.
The family will receive friends Thursday, April 24 from 5-8 p.m. at the Jim Rush Funeral Home, who has charge of the arrangements.