Franklin D. Hightower (Hartville)'s Obituary
Franklin Hightower of Grovespring, Missouri, passed away Thursday, December 4, 2014 in the Hartville Care Center at the age of seventy-eight years, eleven months and thirteen days. The youngest of eleven children, he was born December 21, 1935 to Charles Everett and Ollie Jane (Robertson) Hightower on the family farm. His father named him Franklin Delano after the president. He attended Luallin Rural School. Frank was saved and baptized as a young man and a member of Elk Creek Baptist Church.
He went to Kansas City to find a job. After a brief stint working at a paper box factory, he realized Kansas City was not the place for him! He returned to Wright County where he would spend the remainder of his years. He worked for Speed Kelton Lumber for several years. After marriage, he was employed by Tobin-Hamilton Shoe Factory in Mansfield. Frank drove a school bus for the Hartville-Grovespring school district for over 25 years. Throughout all his working years, he was a farmer raising beef cattle, hogs and horses.
On August 8, 1958 Frank married Donna Faye Jones and to this union a daughter, Brenda Rene' was born. They made their home in Grovespring where they lived until 1979 at which time they moved to the Hightower family farm. Like many in his family, Frank's passion was horses, specifically fox trotters. He was a member of the Missouri Fox Trotting Breed Association. Frank was a charter member of the Grovespring Lions Club. He enjoyed playing cards with friends and family. He adored his daughter and grandkids, enjoyed spending time with family, and loved meeting friends for coffee at the corner cafe. In his later years, he had fun playing Bino at the care center. In addition to his parents, Frank was preceded in death by the mother of his daughter, Donna Hightower; three sisters, Dulcia Childers, Grace Kelsay, and Delores Shaddy; and three brothers, Clifford Hightower, Dalton Hightower, and Herman Hightower. Frank leaves behind his daughter, Brenda Clark of Bryan, Texas; grandson, Jordan Roberts and fiancee' Emily Nicolaisen of Fort Collins, Colorado; granddaughter, Marleigh Clark of Bryan, Texas; one brother, Ezra Hightower of Hartville; three sisters, Edna Burris of Hartville; Betty Gray and husband, James, of Alamosa, Colorado; and Glennis Hogan of Grovespring; sister-in-law Claudine Hightower of Grovespring; and too many nieces, nephews and extended family to count as well as many friends and neighbors. Franklin Delano Hightower was a loving father and grandfather, loyal brother, and fun-loving uncle and friend to all.
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