Christine Franklin

Johnnye Christine Lee Franklin, 90, died Feb. 20, 2010, at a Mexia nursing home. Services will be held at 10:30 AM on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010, at Blair-Stubbs Funeral Home in Mexia, conducted by Cameron Simmons, with burial to follow at Prairie Grove Cemetery. Mrs. Franklin was born March 19, 1919, at Prairie Grove in Limestone County, the daughter of John Wilson Lee and Velma Robbins Lee. She was married on December 7, 1935, to Fred Franklin. They were the parents of a son, Johnny E. Franklin. She was educated at Fallon School and graduated from Shiloh High School. She and her husband were the proprietors of a restaurant near Fort Parker for a number of years. Later she was employed as a vocational nurse in Mexia, at the City of Waco Tax Department, and at the Gibbs Memorial Library in Mexia. She loved gardening, being especially fond of her irises and cape jasmine bushes. She was instrumental in helping prevent the closing of the old Fort Parker bridge. For a number of years she was given the honor of pulling the switch to light the historic bridge for its annual Christmas decoration by the cities of Mexia and Groesbeck. She was a member of the Church of Christ. Mrs. Franklin was predeceased by her parents, her husband, her son, and two sisters, Nellie Jane Lee Williams of Bogota and Pauline Lee Moore of Laneville. She is survived by two granddaughters, Kathleen Franklin of Mt. Calm and Elizabeth Simmons and her husband Cameron Simmons of League City, two great-grandsons, Jacob and Benjamin Simmons, a daughter-in-law, Nancy Ann Dillard Franklin of Mt. Calm, a nephew, R. L. Williams of Mansfield and a niece, Jimmie Ann Moore Zotz of Laneville. Pallbearers are R. L. Williams, Hughes Dillard, Cameron Simmons and Jacob Simmons. Honorary pallbearer is Benjamin Simmons. The family would like to express its appreciation to the staff of The Haven Nursing Home in Mexia and to Providence Hospice for their many kindnesses.