- Date Of Birth: June 26, 1920
- Date Of Death: June 26, 2023
- State: New Mexico
I, Dorothy Loree Humphreys Franklin, was born on April 24‘“, 1920 on a farm near Wingate,
Texas, 40 miles south of Abilene. My family lived there until I was 4 ‘A years old. We bought
land 4 miles south of Amherst, Texas. We kids grew up to help Dad farm. I helped Mama with
the washing and ironing. We washed on a rub board and then stuck them in a pot of boiling
water to come clean. We lived through the “Great Depression.”
When I grew up and started dating, I met a young man at church. His name was Loyd Franklin.
We dated a while and then got married on February 16, 1938. Loyd had started working for the
movie theater in Amherst. We had a son, George in 1939
Loyd got a chance to manage the Sunshine Theater in Clovis, New Mexico. We moved there in
1942, the beginning of World War II. Our son Kerry was born in 1944.
After the war was over, a friend and I opened a ceramic shop. We taught people to make clay
pieces and paint the green ware for pretty things around the home. A little girl, Paula was born
in 1950 who continues to look out for me today. Thank you LORD Jesus.
My husband wanted a drive-in theater. He sold the downtown theater, Sunshine, and built the
La Fonda Drive-In Theater in 1952.
In 1960 I joined a group of ladies who got together to paint. We rented little house and painted
all year long. We had an art show on one Sunday to show what we had done. The news paper
gave us a whole page to advertise our Show. That was a lot of fun.
Others wanted to join our group. We rented a larger house and added 4 more ladies to make
10. We worked all year and had a large show in November. Our gallery was named the ”Paint’n
Place.” We added picture frames, oil paints and other art supplies. We brought in very good
teachers to hold 2 workshops.
I also volunteered for the March of Dimes until the vaccine was made. I organized the mother
March of Dimes once each year in Clovis.
Our church had a clothes and food give-away. I volunteered there for 6 years. I also volunteered
to teach World Bible school by mail for several years.
Loyd and I played bridge with many of our good friends.
We were in the theater business from 1942 to 1979. We extended our drive-in business to 2
theaters. We worked every night. The snack bar was a busy place. I was so happy when my
husband decided to sell them and retire in 1979.
My husband, Loyd, went to be with our Father in 2005. We were married 67 years.
In 2012 I moved from Clovis to Amarillo. I was 92 years old and had lived in our house that we
built in 1956.
I have out lived my whole family of 8 and all my old bridge players.
Dorothy has 3 children, 11 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, and 1 great grandchild.
