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Submitted: 9/29/09 • Approved: 8/28/19 • Last Updated: 8/31/19 • R241833-G0-S3
July 6, 1917 - June 29, 2009
*Obituary
Franklin Benjamin Wallingsford, 91,of Hampton, went to be with his Lord on Monday, June 29, 2009. He was born a seventh son of a seventh son on July 6, 1917 in Tinsman, Arkansas. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Wallingsford and Mary Childers Wallingsford, six brothers and two sisters. He was also preceded in death by one much loved daughter, Darien Roberta Wallingsford Oliver in 1993 and one special son-in-law, Charles Robert Sarver in 1989. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Erna Roberta Owens Wallingsford and one daughter, Frankie Wallinsford Sarver both of Hampton; one granddaughter, Lori Oliver Fawbush, her husband, Nathan Fawbush and three precious great-granddaughters, Cheyenne, Savannah and Brooklyn Fawbush all of North Little Rock; three nieces, Margaret Benson of Little Rock and Mary Ann Potes of Tulsa, OK, and Carla Chumbley of Lewisville, TX; two nephews, Steve Owens of Plano,TX, Mike Owens of Dallas, TX and one sister-in-law, Margaret Owens of Hampton.
He loved his small towns of Hampton and Tinsman, Arkansas and the Razorbacks where he attended the University. He never missed an opportunity to tell his daughter what a "nice, clean little town" Hampton is nor did he miss an opportunity to tell everyone he built his two-story Cape Cod house with a red roof and picket fence. He was able to take his last breaths in his walnut-stained paneled den with his family present and this gave his wife and daughter much comfort on a lonely, sad night.
He frequently told his friends his one remaining goal is life was to kiss his wife, Erna on his 100th birthday. He did not reach this goal but he also loved telling everyone she never agreed to sleep with a 100 year old man when she married him and he wasn't certain she would be too excited.
At 91 he had few wrinkles, black hair with a whiff of gray, a quick mind and was the first person to have a computer in Hampton when he was in his seventies. The week before he died he complained about having to go through 300 e-mails.
Frank was a role model father, a loving patient husband and a believer in fighting for causes he thought were just and fair. He was an avid reader of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, the New York Times and the local South Arkansas Sun. He was a World War II Army veteran. He was a lifelong church member, a rural mail carrier, and a friend to young boys who loved to fish in his stocked pond and anyone he believed was the "little man" or "the underdog" in society. He never complained of multiple illnesses but did admit to missing fishing, Razorback games and gardening when his legs no longer allowed these pastimes.
Visitation will be Tuesday 6pm until 8pm at Benton Funeral Home in Hampton. Funeral services will be 2:00pm Wednesday at the First Baptist Church in Hampton with Rev. Clint Ritchie officiating. Burial at Campground Cemetery. Arrangements by Benton Funeral Home in Fordyce. To sign the online register visit www.bentonfuneralhome.com
Contributed on 9/29/09 by debbraszymanski
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Record #: 241833