Maggie Franklin

Maggie Franklin, age 82 of the Pearl community, crossed over the River Jordan at a local hospital on Monday, June 4, 2012, surrounded by her family. Private family graveside services will be held at Pearl Cemetery. The family will receive visitors at 11:00 A.M. Thursday, June 7, 2012 at the Pearl Community Center. Maggie was born in Slaton, Texas to the late Fred and Ila Ray Dearing Payton. The family moved to Roswell, New Mexico in 1939, where Maggie and her siblings grew up on the family farm. Maggie graduated from Roswell High School in 1948, going on to earn a degree from Draughn’s Business College. Maggie went to work at J. P. White Feed Mill as a bookkeeper. There she met Talmage Dever and they were married in 1951 and had two children. She became a widow in 1959. Maggie married Harley Eugene Franklin in 1968, moving to Pearl, Texas. Maggie established Franklin Income Tax Service in Evant, Texas in the early 1970’s. She acquired the H & R Block Franchise in Gatesville, shortly thereafter, that she owned and operated until 2004, retiring at the age of 75. Maggie was a member of the Pearl Baptist Church and the Order of The Eastern Star #962 in Evant, where she served as Worthy Matron and currently was a member of the Gatesville #1005 Order of The Eastern Star since it’s consolidation with Evant. Maggie was preceded in death by a brother, Willie Dene Payton. Survivors include husband of 43 years, Eugene Franklin of Pearl; daughter, Sharon Lee Taylor and husband Ken of Plano, Texas; son, Talmage Dewayne Dever and wife Melinda of Richmond, Texas; sisters, Wanda Harvey of Grapevine, Texas and Katherine Waggoner and husband Larry of Roswell, New Mexico. The family request instead of flowers, please make donations to the American Diabetes Association in Maggie’s memory.