Katherine Franklin

Katherine Lynn FranklinKatherine Lynn Franklin of Brandon, MS passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 at Hospice Ministries.

She was born in Rantoul, Illinois on April 22,1960 to the late Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Charles Ray Franklin, Sr. and Lillie Mae Hall Franklin. As the youngest of a Methodist Air Force family, Katherine lived in various states including Mississippi, Kansas, Texas, and Ohio. While the family was stationed in Taiwan in 1970, Katherine was blessed to meet her life-long best friend Karen Waits who along with the family and other friends mourns her loss.

After graduating from Copiah Academy, Katherine received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and English from Mississippi University for Women in 1980. Throughout her college career, Katherine was active in various aspects of college life. She was the State President for two years and Vice President of the SMAE (Mississippi Association of Educators - Student Program), and also served SNEA (National Association of Educators- Student Program) as a chairman and active participant on various committees. In addition, she served as an officer in Sigma Tau Delta and Kappa Delta Epsilon and was a member of Psi Chi, Gamma Beta Phi, Lantern, Torch, and Mortar Board. Her talents as a musician and public speaker were used at various Methodist churches as both a choir member and accomplished lay speaker and Sunday School teacher.

Katherine served as an intern at the Women’s, Diagnostic, and Tucker Units at the Arkansas Department of Corrections in Pine Bluff and Tucker, Arkansas to complete the requirements for her Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology from The University of Southern Mississippi in 1983. This internship led to her employment as a Substance Abuse Treatment Program Manager and Mental Health Coordinator for the Arkansas Department of Corrections.

She later served as a Mental Health Therapist, a Counselor for a Chemical Dependency Unit and a Family Program Coordinator for various programs in Arkansas and Mississippi. In addition, she worked as a psychologist and Program Manager for the Women’s Chemical Dependency Unit at the Mississippi State Hospital in Whitfield, Mississippi.

Katherine is survived by two sisters Elizabeth (Thomas) Tanner of Pine Level, North Carolina and Carol (David) Dunn of Jackson, Mississippi as well as many nieces and nephews. Her many friends and relatives will remember Katherine for her laughter, love of life and learning, availability to help others cope with life’s challenges when called upon, and her strong Christian values.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association or the Brandon Fire Department who generously provided vital assistance to Katherine over the years. A Special Writing from Katherine: When You Remember Me
By Katherine Lynn Franklin

What I hope you remember when you remember me is the laughter--corny jokes; wonderful puns that made everyone groan; Daddy and me making up silly nonsense songs on car trips, and the joy of togetherness expressed in laughing so hard with family and friends that everyone cried and gasped for breath. But if you remember me laughing, maybe you will also remember the times when I was sarcastic, or made a cutting remark, because it sounded witty to others I wanted to impress; or laughing while gossiping about someone when I should have been praying for that person. So maybe I don't want you to remember me laughing, after all.

What I hope you remember when you remember me is the love--reaching out to those who are hurting; forgiving others when they inflicted pain; and encouraging people to find out who they are and to let God love them. But if you remember the love, maybe you will also remember the times when I was too absorbed in other things to reach out, or when I focused on what I wanted and hurt others in the process. So maybe it isn't such a good thing for you to remember the love, after all.

What I hope you remember when you remember me is the beauty--the softening of the eyes when I felt something deeply, the gifts I made and gave away, and the times when my life truly reflected Christ. But maybe if you remember the beauty, you will also remember those times when I frowned in anger; gave in to fear; or, through selfish choices, inflicted ugliness on the lives of others. So maybe your thinking about beauty in my life isn't such a good thing, after all.

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