Frances was preceded in death by her parents, Herschel and Mary Jane Farnsworth, husband Curtis Dykes, daughter Sheila Grooms, granddaughter Christi Albritton, sisters Alice Gowen and Dorothy McBlain, and brothers Thomas, Robert, and Joe Farnsworth. She is survived by daughters Sharon and husband Steve Walker and Theresa and husband Chris Albritton, son-in-law Dickie Grooms, stepchildren Mary Alice and husband, Joe Taylor, Joe and wife, Lanell Dykes, and Karen Campbell, grandchildren Anthony Grooms, Stephanie and husband, Michael Williams, Shannon and husband, John Glaser, Sharee and husband, Daniel Hebert, John and wife, Sydney Walker, and Dawn Albritton, 8 great-grandchildren, brother Kenneth and wife, Nell Farnsworth, sister Jane Vermillion, and many nieces and nephews.
As a child, she had a hard life working in the cotton fields, but she loved to play ball and other games with her siblings. She also told us she was the fastest runner, even outrunning her brothers. She loved to sing to her children and at church, leading worship before her husband would preach. She also loved to cook, sew for her daughters and granddaughters, and play 42 with her friends and her siblings. After high school, she worked at the Federal Reserve Bank. Once she had children, she stayed home for the girls’ formative years. Frances retired from Gibson’s Discount Store and Sanger Harris Department Store. She served for many years in the church nursery at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, of Tyler, Texas. For a while, she even baked pies for a local pharmacy food counter.
A time of visitation for Frances will be held Friday, June 11, 2021 from 3:00 to 4:00 pm in the Chapel of Tyler Memorial Funeral Home, followed by a celebration of life at 4:00 pm.
Serving as pallbearers are Michael Farnsworth, Ray McBlain, John Walker, Michael Williams, John Glaser, Ron Barber and Gary Rabe.
