James Wallace Franks, 80, of Tifton passed away Friday, September 10, 2004, at his residence. His funeral service was held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, September 13, 2004, in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals with the Rev. Billy Sumner, the Rev. Charles Tyson, the Rev. Mance Cason and the Rev. Bill Barksdale officiating. Mr. Franks will be laid to rest at Oak Ridge Cemetery.
Rusty Wisham, Russ Smith, Lee Cooper, Ben Barrentine, Justin Franks, Clint Hendrix, Max Harold Franks and Stephen Weeks served as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers were the members of the Adult Sunday School Clas at Corinth Freewill Baptist Church in Brookfield.
Born March 31, 1924, in Marion County, Alabama, Mr. Franks was the son of the late Marvin M. Franks and Josie Parr Franks. He was also preceded in death by two brothers, Gene Franks and Bobby Franks; one sister, Lorene Franks Causey Miller; and three grandchildren, Jeremy Franks, Megan Franks and Tina Cooper. He was a retired farmer; and he was a member of Corinth Freewill Baptist Church in Brookfield, where he served as a deacon, taught the Teen Sunday School Class for 22 years; and was the song leader for 49 years. His family moved to Rural Route #4 in Tifton from Alabama in 1938. He was a World War II veteran and served in the United States Navy CBs 72nd battalion from July 4, 1944 to March 12, 1946; and is listed in Tifton Veterans Park as a World War II Veteran. He served as a Tift County Commissioner for twelve years; he was president of the Tift County Singing Convention for many years; he was president of the national Singing Convention for one year. He was a member of the Gideons International and the American Legion.
Mr. Franks is survived by his wife of 58 years, Maxine Tyson Franks of Tifton; four sons and daughters-in-law, Lanny and Jan Davis Franks of Tifton, Randy and Joyce Drawdy Franks of Jesup, Ronny and Sherrie Brewer Franks of Cumming and Lenn and Lisa Koella Franks of Louisville, Tennessee; two daughters and sons-in-law, Diane and Ronald Pickens and Wanda and Bobby Cofield, all of Tifton; one brother, Lehman Franks of Cosby, Tennessee; one sister, Faye Franks Ogletree of Tifton; sixteen grandchildren and their spouses, Ron and Teresa Pickens of Owasso, Oklahoma, Geriann Wishum and Stephen Weeks, Rusty and patty Wishum, David and Kim Gober of Bentonville, Arkansas, Myra Wishum and Russ Smith, Lee Cooper, Stacey and Jeff Hall, Mandy Cofield, Johnna Franks and Ben Barrentine, Kayla Franks, Justin Franks, Gina Franks and Clint Hendrix, Max Harold Franks, Anna Olivia Franks, Alena Franks and Denver Franks; and fourteen great-grandchildren, Brittini Cooper, Heather Cooper, Taylor Hall, Wran Wishum, Zachary Gober, Jordan Gober, Lindsey Pickens, Lauren Pickens, Hayden Weeks, Grace Weeks, Will Weeks, Brady Barrentine, Isaac Franks and John Tyson Hendrix