ABOUT

Born in the deep pinewood  forests of Southeast Texas, my father experienced life during the Great Depression.

The oldest of five sons born to Minnie Effie and Martin Franklin, he bore the responsibility of helping with both his parents' duties, and his brothers.

Assisting in not only the building of the rural family home, but also caring for siblings, land, crops and stock, my young father learned skills he would possess and utilize his entire life.

Aware the life he desired could never come to fruition, at 18 he moved 300 miles to the North Central Texas city of Fort Worth. There he honed his skill as an ace tool and dye maker and began his adult life.

Even at that young age, he demonstrated a level of inventive creations that impacted many. Genius, in many ways.

Through the years the tales he shared were all across the emotional scale. He could be formidable, and he was flawed, but as his youngest daughter, I saw him in awe, yet in a really human way. We understood each other. Although he often compared me to his maternal grandfather, whom he admired, I secretly felt he was proud I was in some ways like him.

He left this earth in 2001, and as I am currently in Covid-19 lockdown with my amazing mate, Gerry,  I deemed it appropriate to log a few or many of the tales of his life’s journey.

Come along.

--Pam Barker

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