Patricia “Diane” Franks Parten, 76, of Ashburn passed away Saturday, March 9, 2024, at Houston Medical Center in Warner Robins. Her funeral service will be held at 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, 2024, in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals with the Rev. Jerry Greer, the Rev. Gordon Poole and the Rev. Jimmy Franks officiating. Mrs. Parten will be laid to rest at Oak Ridge Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals from 2:00 p.m. until the hour of the service.
Wran Wishum, Hayden Weeks, Will Weeks, Ross Smith, Kevin Parten, Hunter Parten and Jonah Mills will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Justin Franks, Christopher Thornton, Max Franks, Denver Franks, Rusty Parten, Caleb Parten and Bert Gordy.
Born October 22, 1947, in Tift County, Mrs. Parten was the daughter of the late James Wallace Franks and Maxine Tyson Franks. She was also preceded in death by two brothers, Lanny “Big Daddy” Franks and Lenn Franks. She owned and operated the “Classy Corner” for many years, which was on the corner of Second Street and Love Avenue in Tifton. She was a homemaker; and she was a member of New Life Tabernacle in Sylvester. She loved her Lord and Savior and was a powerful prayer warrior, and she was a faithful Sunday School teacher and played the piano for church services, along with singing in the “Franks Trio”.
Diane was instrumental in the development of the Golden Building in Downtown Tifton; and she was voted “Woman of the Year” for small businesses. She loved birds, as well as flowers, especially orchids. Her great characteristics included being full of life and laughter.
Mrs. Parten is survived by her husband and the love of her life, Ronald Edward Parten of Ashburn; three sons and daughters-in-law, Rusty and Linda Wishum of Chula, Rusty and Pam Parten of Sylvester and Kevin and Stormy Parten of Waycross; four daughters and one son-in-law, Geriann Wishum Weeks, Myra Wishum Smith and her husband Russ, Felicia Parten and Cristy Parten, all of Tifton; two brothers and sisters-in-law, Randy and Joyce Drawdy Franks of Jesup and Ronny and Sherrie Brewer Franks of Jasper; one sister, Wanda Franks Cofield of Tifton; one sister-in-law, Lisa Koella Franks of Rockford, Tennessee; and twelve grandchildren, Wran Wishum, Hayden Weeks, Will Weeks, Grace Weeks, Ross Smith, Ella Smith, Hunter Parten, Deanna Parten, Jonah Mills, Caleb Parten, Josie Parten and Ava Parten.
Flowers will be accepted; or memorial gifts may be made to the American Diabetic Foundation at www.diabetes.org.