Jeannette G Franklin

JEANNETTE CLAIRE GALLOWAY FRANKLIN, daughter of former Mesquite Mayor (1927-1940) Bedford Forest Galloway of Mesquite, Dallas County, Texas, and Bertha Dakan of Stamford, Jones County, Texas. Jeannette departed this life to be with her Lord at her beloved Old Home Place in Sunnyvale, Dallas County, on 3 July 2012 at age ninety-three. Jeannette was born on Sunday, 16 March 1919, at the Texas Baptist Memorial Sanitarium Hospital, now known as Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas. At that time, most births occurred at home; however, Jeannette’s mother, a 1917 registered nurse graduate of this hospital, helped pioneer its use by recommending it to mothers-to-be and to those needing surgeries, especially in the Mesquite area. Jeannette’s maternal grandparents were George Washington Dakan, a judge and lawyer in Erath County, Texas, and his wife, Celia Bryan, a member of the Parsons families of Henderson and Navarro Counties, Texas. The Dakan and Parsons families have been in Texas since the late 1830s and early 1840s. Judge G.W. Dakan rode with his uncle by marriage, Colonel James Buckner “Buck” Barry, Texas Ranger (1845-1867), protecting the Texas frontier during the 1870s Indian raids. Barry was an intimate friend of Sam Houston, frontiersman, Indian fighter, who served in the Mexican-American War and Texas legislature and rode with Sul Ross during the capture of Cynthia Ann Parker whose son was the last Comanche Chief, Quanah Parker. Jeanette’s mother told her many stories about “Uncle Buck,“ whom she had lived with In Bosque County, Texas at age eight when her mother had died. Many years later, Jeannette had the opportunity to visit with James K. Greer, author of Buck Barry, Texas Ranger and Frontiersman. Jeannette’s great grandfather, Ebinezer Dakan, rode with the Texas Rangers for Frontier Protection during the Civil War. Jeannette was a member of a Dallas County pioneer family, the Galloway’s, who arrived early in Dallas County and settled along Duck Creek near the present city of Garland. Her grandfather, Benjamin Franklin Galloway, served in the Confederacy from Sullivan County, Tennessee, prior to coming to Texas in 1872. She also was a descendant of an Irish Galloway ancestor, Marshall Galloway, who came to fight in the American Revolution. Other Galloway ancestors fought in the War of 1812 and the Civil War, as well as being late 18th century Indian fighters in Tennessee and Virginia. Her father, Bedford Forest Galloway, mayor of Mesquite for thirteen consecutive terms, has a school, park and avenue named in his honor. The Galloway home was always welcoming to friends of her father such as Judge Sarah T. Hughes, Senator Thomas Terry Connally, and US Representative Hatton W. Sumners. Pat Neff, Governor of Texas, was a family friend since college days. Jeannette attended Mesquite schools, graduating in 1937. Jeannette was written up in Jim Gatewood’s book. In Top O’ Hill Casino, he tells about Jeannette being a teenage guest of Sheriff Dan Smoot of Dallas County. She visited the jail and was asked to sing and play, “Dark Town Strutter’s Ball” for two rather famous convicts of the time, Raymond Hamilton and W.D. Jones, members of the Bonnie and Clyde Barrow gang. She was a fine horsewoman and showed her horses in local shows. She studied voice at the School of Music of Southern Methodist University through 1940. Her operatic voice was called by many a “Puccini” soprano. Her first marriage was to Wimberley Calvin Goodman, Jr. of Dallas, Texas, at The Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration on 24 September 1940 in New York City where she lived for two years and continued to study voice. Mr. Goodman’s stage name was Henry Calvin; first Wazir of Police in “Kismet” on Broadway; Sgt. Garcia on the Disney television program, “Zorro,” along with other character parts. During World War II, Jeannette taught school in Mesquite, worked at Southern Air Craft Co. as a receptionist for the war effort; as a receptionist for the law firm of Carrington, Gowan, Hobberton, Johnson and Walker in Dallas, Texas; and sang in the Dallas Starlight Operetta’s productions at the band shell in Fair Park during the 1945 and 1946 seasons. She had the honor of singing with such stars of the time as Dorothy Kirsten, Nannette Fabrey, Basil Rathbone. Jeannette’s second husband and father of her five children, Dr. Elvin (Big’un) Kay Franklin was born in Leakesville, Green County, Mississippi. Following service as an officer in the U.S. Navy, he graduated from Baylor Dental College, Dallas, Texas and established offices in Dallas on Oak Lawn Avenue and in the community of Pleasant Grove. The couple married 10 December 1946 in the parlor of the 1911 Galloway home located near downtown Mesquite, Texas, which was unnecessarily razed in the 1980’s. As a child Jeannette wanted to be a lion tamer, pediatrician, opera singer or a mother. She felt becoming a mother to their five children would be and was her greatest accomplishment. In 1949, the Franklins bought the 1874-1875 Galloway Old Home Place farmstead from her father. They restored the home and surrounding buildings. It remained a working farm until 1980. She was instrumental in getting a Texas Historical marker in 1974 for her home because of detailed research of her family history. The house has been published in Texas Homes magazine, Woman’s Day magazine, several copies of Horchow catalogs and The Dallas Morning News magazine to name a few. In 1974, The Galloway Old Home Place was awarded the Burlington Award for Interior Design. Jeannette also received the Texas Land Heritage award as the owner and manager of the Galloway Old Home Place Farm. In 1984, because of encroaching development, she moved the historical home to Sunnyvale, Texas, where it was fully restored under her direction. “Nette” was responsible for saving, moving and donating the 1840s Webb-Crownover cabin to the Opal Lawrence Historical Park on the National Trust Registry in memory of her deceased son, Bedford Galloway Franklin. She provided her historical research to acquire a Galloway Farmstead Texas Historical site market at the Mesquite Saltgrass Restaurant on land where the farm was originally located. Four generations of the Galloway family lived on the land and in the home. Jeannette was part owner of the Galloway Antiques located in Dallas, Texas. She was appointed by Dallas County Commissioner Nancy Judy to serve on the Dallas County Historical Commission (1982-1985). She was a member of the James Campbell Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution; charter member of the Hiram Bennett Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas; Historic Mesquite Inc.; charter member of the Friends of the Sunnyvale Library; former member of the Mesquite Woman’s Club and the Dallas Summer Musicals. Jeannette had a “photographic memory.” She was a storyteller extraordinaire. Her children, friends and acquaintances were privileged to converse with her and hear her beautifully descriptive stories, whether they were seated around the hearth with the mantel carved with the words, “Good friend, around these hearthstones speak no evil word of any creature,” or around her elegant dinner table. Always, they were enriched by the presence of this loving, talented, and passionate hostess. As young children, the Franklins were enchanted when their mother told them humorous and heroic stories, sang them to sleep with her beautiful voice, quoted poetry, taught them to play baseball, how to ride and care for horses and how to always be on their best manners in company with adults. Over the years, Jeannette was known as “Nette”, “Nettiepoo” and “Netto” by her friends. Her two grandchildren and many other children, whom she adored, called her “Gran Nette”. She loved people dearly and always sought ways to share her knowledge about antiques, history, music, especially opera, books, authors and art with them. Seldom did you see “Nette” without a book or magazine. She enjoyed traveling throughout Texas, the Southern United States, Russia and Europe. In sharing her stories she always gave her correct age and felt secure in explaining her bi-polar illness. Known for her great sense of humor and storytelling, one friend called her sayings “Jeannetteisms” such as “Sweet Tart”, “Sweet Thing”, “You are so slender, you have the figure of a nervous minnow”; or “That dress is so big on you it looks like socks on a rooster.” Jeannette wanted to be remembered as being kind to others, always trying to follow the Golden Rule and one who loved her Lord and Jesus Christ. Jeannette is survived by children Vin Franklin, Deborah Parsons Franklin, Honor Franklin and her husband, Dr. Robert B. Mitchell and Benjamin Patrick Franklin; two grandchildren, Honor Sullivan Franklin-Mitchell and Hahn Galloway Franklin-Mitchell, as well as many beloved nieces and nephews. Preceding her in death were her son, Bedford Galloway Franklin; sister, Bette Galloway Frank; half-sisters, Lida May Galloway Harvey, Annie Galloway Riggs, Florence Galloway Jackson and half-brother, J.B. Galloway, whose mother was Nanny Lawrence Galloway, first wife of Bedford Galloway. The “angels” who assisted the family and deserve our sincerest appreciation and love are: Vernon Horsley; Christina Isbert; Rosetta Williams; Susan Frye; Jackie Wadsworth; David Tyler; M.D.; A. and E. Health Care; Tanya Miller, R.N.; Leslie Dimayuga, C.N.A.; Susan Meister, R.N.; Satish Goyal, M.D.; Netta Nayak, M.D.; Hospice Plus; Stephanie Dunn, LVN; Elizabeth Dennis, RN; Linda Chandler, RN; Brenda Johnson, LVN; Tammy Whitley, LVN; the Sunnyvale Volunteer Fire Department and the Dallas County Sheriff Department, Sunnyvale Division. A private interment will be held at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, 7 July, 2012, in the private Franklin Cemetery Galloway Old Home Place farm property, Sunnyvale, Texas. Friends are welcome to attend in comfortable attire. A memorial service will be held in the chapel at Saint Michaels and All Angels Episcopal Church at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to any of the following in Jeannette Galloway Franklin‘s name: Historic Mesquite Inc., P.O. Box 850137,Mesquite, Texas 75149; Paws Patrol Animal Rescue, 1650 Gross Rd, Mesquite, Texas 75149; Jubilee Park and Community Center, St. Michaels and All Angels Episcopal Church, 8011 Douglas, Dallas, Texas 75225. A Jeannette Galloway Franklin Memory Box will be at both services. The family requests everyone to share any pictures of Jeanette through the years or any stories or remembrances by placing them in the box or sending them to the Galloway Old Home Place if they cannot attend. These will be shared with the family and future generations.