Eugene Franklin

He was preceded in death by his mother, Fannie Combs Caudill; the mother of his children, Effie Lou Franklin; two sons, Barry Franklin and Steve Franklin; and his beloved life

partner, Elizabeth “Lib” Clark. He is survived by his daughter Deborah (Denver) Avis of

Cartersville; daughter Mary Jean Dowlatowski of Acworth; grandsons Barry Franklin, Mark Franklin and Cole (Christy) Avis; granddaughters Tina Sanford, Amy Franklin and Erin (Brad) Templeton; great-grandchildren Allison Franklin, Barry Franklin Jr., Elijah Templeton, Luke Templeton and Olivia Avis. He is also survived by his very special caregivers: Minnie Boyd, Carolyn Cochran, Mary Valdes and Elizabeth Okon.

He was a WWII veteran who bravely served his country in the U.S. Army. Enlisting underage with the help of his mother, he was honorably discharged at the end of the war, returning home at the age of 18. He spent a total of 33 months overseas during the war serving in England, Wales, France, Belgium and Germany. Gene worked a number of different jobs after returning home and eventually began working at Lockheed Martin in 1955, where he retired as a master machinist some 27 years later. He also was the owner and operator of Franklin Well Pump Service where he worked with his son, Steve Franklin, for many years. He was an active member of Emerson Baptist Church, where he was baptized at age 87. He enjoyed visiting with his many friends in the Senior Adult Sunday School Class, sharing stories

over coffee and sausage biscuits each week. Gene was a friend to many over the years. He hardly met a

stranger and was extremely generous in many ways. Some have said he was a man of few words, but he was always ready and willing to share a story or his humor with anyone who would listen. In his

free time, he enjoyed a game of chance and one may wager that luck was always on his side.

A Celebration of Life Service will be conducted at 3:00 pm on Saturday, September 18, 2021 in the chapel of Owen Funeral Home with Dr. Chris Weldon Officiating. The family will receive friends on Saturday, September 18, 2021 from 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm. The interment will be at Georgia National Cemetery at a later date.

Please visit www.owenfunerals.com to leave online condolences for the family.

Owen Funeral Home 12 Collins Dr., Cartersville, GA is honored to serve the Franklin family.