Franklin E. Watts

FLORENCE – Franklin E. Watts, husband of Joyce Coleman Watts, died on April 28, 2008.

He was born on Nov. 1, 1935, in Ashwood, a son of the late Edmond Bernard and Annie Bell Robison Watts. He was reborn in the Holy Spirit in November 1959. He lived in Florence since July 1960. He was a U.S. Army veteran and retired in 2001 from Superior Machine Co. after 32 years as a professional trucker. He was a charter member of West Florence Baptist Church that was organized in 1972 and a charter member of Berean Baptist Church that was organized in 1999. He was an avid deer hunter and charter member of the “Sportman’s Hunting Club.” In his retirement years, he loved to garden and give produce away to friends and neighbors. His motto was “to live by the side of the road and be a friend to man’ and was always giving to others.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Robert B. Watts and his wife, Louise, James E. Watts and his wife, Gertie, and W. Othell Watts and his wife, Mary Lou; and brothers-in-law, Carlyle Nesbitt and S.W. Prescott.

Surviving are his wife, who he married on June 14, 1959; son, Scott R. (Janet) Watts and their children, Caleb and Anna, of Florence; daughter, Amanda Lin (Greg) Breeden and their children, Zach, Katie and Abby, all of Raymond, Maine; brothers, E.B. (Ruby) Watts Jr. of Mayesville, John Milton (Uldene) Watts of Laurens and Wyman Harold (Grace) Watts of Mayesville; sisters, Lorena Nesbitt of Lynchburg, Mildred (Euston) Green and Gladys (S. Bruce) Buddin, both of Turbeville, Elma Prescott of Alcolu, Sara Bell (Loy) Hendricks of Huntsville, Ala., Mary Elizabeth (J.H. Jr.) Moore of Olanta and Patricia (Richard William) Auburn of Kokomo, Ind.

Memorials may be made to Berean Baptist Church, P.O. Box 5596, Florence, S.C. 29502 and to McLeod Hospice House, 1203 E. Cheves St., Florence, S.C. 29506.

Funeral services were held on Thursay, May 1, 2008, in the Berean Baptist Church in Darlington County.

Burial followed in the Florence Memorial Gardens.

Stoudenmire-Dowling Funeral Home of Florence was in charge of the arrangements.