Fire destroys mobile home

Tuesday afternoon a fire destroyed a mobile home on Hall Road near Bluebank. No one was injured. See the full story in today's Gazette.

Mr. Farris

Franklin H. Farris, 92, died Monday, Aug. 31, 2009, at the Meadowview Regional Medical Center. A long time resident of Jersey Ridge Road, Mr. Farris has been a resident of the Maysville Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility since August 2001. He was born July 24, 1917 in Goddard, Fleming County, the son of the late Basil Bramel and Kate Hart Faris.
Mr. Farris was preceded in death by his wife, the former Leota Colliver, who died June 17, 1987. He and Mrs. Farris were married in January 1948.
Known throughout the community for his many years in the automobile industry, Mr. Farris was a 1935 graduate of May’s Lick High School. After working with DuPont in Charlestown, Ind., Mr. Farris entered military service at Fort Dix, N.J. in August 1942 until April 1945. During his first tour of duty, an extra "r" was added to his last name. When he brought the mistake to the attention of his commanding officer, Mr. Farris was told that from now on your last name will be spelled with the two r’s. He was with the 135th Regiment of the 34th "Red Bull" Infantry Division where he earned the Combat Infantryman Badge and wreath for meritorious service and the European Theatre Ribbon. He joined the local 400th Quartermaster Army Reserve unit in 1946 and served that unit until his retirement at the rank of 1SG AUSR (E8) in the summer of 1969.
From 1946 through 1951, he operated the service station located just west of the Kentucky entrance to the Simon Kenton Bridge. He joined the sales force of Dallas Queen Chevrolet-Oldsmobile in 1951 and remained in that position until the mid 1960’s, when he and partners Alvin Cummins and Marjorie Owens acquired the dealership and renamed it Alvin Cummins Chevrolet. He remained in that role until the business was sold in the early 1970s, and later enjoyed the companionship of many of his friends in performing part time duties for John Hord’s Hilltop Ford.
He was an active member of the First Baptist Church for close to 50 years. Mr. Farris served as deacon and a church trustee for most of those years. He was a member of the Lions Club, Commander of the Leslie H. Arthur Post No. 13 American Legion and a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was most proud of his service as a member of the Mason County School Board of Education when the then controversial decision was made to build the Mason County Fieldhouse in the early 1960s.
In his later years, Mr. Farris was able to see the Fieldhouse from his room at the Maysville Nursing and Rehabilitaion Facility and often remarked at how "everyone thought we were crazy" for building what remains some 45 years later the finest athletics and fine arts facility in Kentucky.
Mr. Farris was preceded in death by his older brother, Albert L. Faris; younger sister, Thelma Marquita Faris; and younger brother, Byram H. Faris.
He is survived by one son, Franklin H. Farris Jr. (Anne Hardymon) of Louisville; and grandchildren Clay Walton Farris of Louisville and Elizabeth Hart Farris of Indianapolis, Ind.; and is survived by nephews and nieces, Albert L. Faris Jr. of Maysville, Michelle Faris Harr of Lexington, Cheri Strode Claybrooke and Clarence Strode Jr. of Murfreesboro, Tenn., Martha Holland Watson of Maysville and Debbie Holland Calvert of Lexington.
Services for Franklin H. Farris will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, Sept. 4, 2009, at the First Baptist Church with Rev. James Rawlings and Rev. Tony Leiss officiating. Burial will be in the Maysville Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Bill Hensley, Nick Pitakis, Clarence Strode Jr., Albert L. Faris Jr., Gayle Watson and Rich Harr. Visitation will be held at the Knox and Brothers Funeral Home Thursday from 6 -- 8 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church, 315 Market Street, Maysville, KY 41056 or to the charity of one’s choice.
Guest book at www.knoxbrothersfuneralhome.com.