Mary Odessa Franklin

MARY ODESSA FRANKLIN, age 85, of White Pine, TN passed away Saturday morning, February 28, 2009 at Morristown Hamblen Hospital. She was a life long resident of White Pine. Upon completng Morristown College, she became an assistant to Dr. Dennis Branch of Newport for 17 years. Later she taught Head Start for the Cocke County School System and for the rest of her life was an active farmer in the community. Odessa was a dedicated member of the First United Methodist Church of White Pine and worked faithfully with the United Methodist Women. She was preceded in death by her parents, James A. and Mary Naomi Cotner Franklin; two half sistera and two half brothers. Survivors include sisters, Violet Franklin of White Pine, and Lady Bee Franklin Coleman of Evanston, Illinois; many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, cousins and a host of friends and good neighbors whom she loved dearly. Funeral service will be held at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 in the chapel of Farrar Funeral Home of White pine with Rev. Mark McFadden officiating. The family will receive friends from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. prior to the service. Graveside interment service will be on Wednesday, March 4 at 10:00 a.m. at White Pine Cemetery. The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to the First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 146, White Pine, TN 37890. ARRANGEMENTS BY FARRAR FUNERAL HOME IN WHITE PINE, TN (865)674-2441