William & Frances King

On December 22, 2020, Frances (“Frannie”) King passed away peacefully in Bethlehem, GA. She was just shy of turning 102. She inherited her longevity from her two centenarian parents, Emma and Frank Wright.

Frannie was born on January 25, 1919 in Cincinnati, Ohio and was the second of four children. She attended Western College for Women in Oxford, Ohio where she played basketball, made life-long friends, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in math. After graduation, she turned to teaching elementary school where she inspired hundreds of children to get excited about math and science. She filled her classroom with things like hatching butterflies, science experiments, math flash cards, and lots of other learning materials. She believed students should be able to do “mental” math in addition to written work. Despite her dementia, she later amazed people with her ability to recite her multiplication tables.

In 1949, she married William R. King and had three children. With grace and lots of hard work, she juggled teaching full-time, raising her children, managing the family finances, and helping run a 200-acre cattle farm in Oregonia, Ohio. After retiring, she and her husband bought and sold antiques in Ohio, North Carolina, and Florida where they maintained residences. In 2005, she and her husband purchased a home in Watkinsville, GA to be closer to family. Over their 71 years together, she and her husband shared a love of gardening, golfing, antiquing, dogs, and traveling to exotic places like Japan, Europe, Russia, and Hong Kong. Well into her eighties she still managed to hit a golf ball straight down the fairway. Later in life she picked up painting and woodcarving, turning out cherished pieces for the family.

She is survived by her three children, William R. King, Jr., John Roger King, and Frances K. Mengak and her spouse Michael T. Mengak. She is also survived by four grandchildren, Christopher Thomas Mengak, Jessica Heather King, Sean Nicolas King, and Lara Frances Mengak.

Arrangements will be handled by Bernstein Funeral Home and she will be laid to rest in Evergreen Memorial Park in Athens, GA.

Frannie lived a long and full life. All who knew her loved her for her sweet disposition, humility, and her unforgettable smile.