Oveta Mae Franklin passed away at her Moscow home on Monday, August 3rd at the age of 96.
She was born on May 30, 1924 to Irvin ‘Pat’ and Edna Terrell at Manning, Scott County in western Kansas. She graduated from the Manning grade school when she was 11 years old. In 1937, her family moved to Harvard, Idaho because of the dust bowl days in western Kansas.
Oveta graduated from Potlatch High School in 1940 and from Kinman Business University in Spokane, Washington in 1941. Following graduation, she worked for an attorney in Moscow, until her marriage to Arthur E. Franklin on October 30, 1942 at Salt Lake City, Utah. This was during World War II and Arthur was stationed at Fort Douglas, Utah. They were together briefly before Arthur was shipped out to the South Pacific as a medic in the Army for 34 months.
After Arthur shipped out in January 1943, Oveta continued to work in Salt Lake City for a law firm until July 1943. She then made the decision to return to Moscow and worked for Crites Moscow Grain Growers for five years. She started as a secretary and after a few months became the treasurer for the company.
After Arthur returned from the war, Oveta worked alongside her husband cleaning up old houses for rentals and working together to maintain their small wheat farm north of town. She also was a stay at home Mom of two children, Joyce and Jim. During this time, she also worked part time for an accountant during tax season and after the children were grown, worked in the Comptrollers Accounts Payable office at Washington State University for four years.
Oveta especially loved her church, Moscow Church of the Nazarene, where she served in many capacities. She taught children’s classes and teen classes as well as being a department supervisor. She enjoyed having parties and having various groups of both children, adults and teens in her home. She also served on the Church Board and held Missionary Council positions. She especially enjoyed hosting meals in her home, and even entertaining people with both dramatic readings and silly skits.
She worked with her husband on many building projects, enjoyed yard work, and even helped sometimes with farming. She did upholstery work, made ribbon flowers and decorative little boxes. Late in life, she loved to decorate her large table in the room she added onto her house for the purpose of entertaining groups of friends, neighbors and widows.
Above all, she and her husband, Arthur, loved God. They lived to try to help others know God’s love as well.
She was dearly loved by her children, Joyce Chadbourne, and Rev. Jim and wife, Nancy Franklin, and five grandchildren. Richard Chadbourne ( who preceded her in death in 2006) Natasha Chadbourne, Jesse Franklin (wife Jeni) Jeremy Franklin (wife Kara) and Katie Strawser (husband Aaron) and six great- grandchildren (Kenna, Addison, Chade, Rhett, Sawyer, and Owen.
In addition to her grandson, she was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, Arthur in 2005, her son-in-law, Warren Chadbourne in 2014 and a brother, Everett Terrell in 2018.
Viewing will be at Short’s Funeral Chapel on Thursday from 9:00 A.M. to 6 P.M.
The funeral service will be held in the Moscow Church of the Nazarene at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, August 7th. Burial will follow at the Moscow Cemetery.
The family suggests memorials be made to the Nazarene Missions Fund.
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