Herbert "Whitey" Franklin

Herbert "Whitey" Franklin, 82, died Saturday, June 26, 2010. He was born in Madison County, NC on June 16, 1928 to the late Grant and Ada Mace Franklin. Mr. Franklin was a member of Faith Temple Church. For many years he operated his own heavy equipment company and really enjoyed operating his bulldozers. "Whitey" was very active in his community where he worked with the Brindletown Fire Department and the neighborhood watch. He was also an avid fisherman and loved helping others in his community.Surviving are his wife, Martha Blankenship Franklin and his children and their spouses, Stephen and Martha Franklin, Michael and Thelma Franklin, Debbie and Jerry Lourcey, and Karen and Thomas Moody all of Morganton. He is also survived by five grandchildren, Jonathan and LeManda Franklin, Wendy Roper, Maggie Moody, and Jimmy Bumgarner; and eight great-grandchildren. His brother, Taylor Franklin and sisters, Mildred Proffitt and Eula Wheeler all live in Mars Hill.In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by grandchildren, Thomas Lee Moody, III and Michael McKinley Franklin; and by a great-grandson, Austin Trenten Franklin.Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 29, 2010 in the Colonial Chapel of Sossoman Funeral Home with Mr. Floyd Thomas officiating. Burial will follow at Faith Temple Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6:00 until 7:30 p.m. Monday at Sossoman Funeral Home.