Jo Marie Francis' Obituary
Jo Marie “Jody” Francis passed away peacefully on Wednesday, February 6, in Tulsa, OK, after a very brief illness. She was born on May 20, 1925, in Merkel, TX, the third of five children of Herman Lee and Allie Mae (Bright) Abernathy. She is preceded in death by her husband Charles Randall Francis, her daughter Cynthia Kay Francis Nieman, her parents, two sisters and their spouses, and her brother. Jody grew up in Wichita Falls, TX, which is where she met Charles while working at a local drug store. During the course of their many years together they lived in Wichita Falls; St. Louis and Columbia, MO; Green Bay, WI; Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN; Tulsa, OK; and Del Norte, CO. After moving to Tulsa in 1976, Jody and Charles became active and beloved members of the Garnett Church of Christ. For many years Jody served as the Office Receptionist at Garnett, where her warm greeting and happy smile made everyone feel special and welcome. In addition to her church work, Jody loved to sing, paint, and read, and she looked forwardly greatly to yearly reunions with her three sisters, Maxine, Laverne, and Marcy, and her brother H.L. She is survived by a daughter, Cheryl Francis Whiteley Smith; two sons, Charles Alan Francis and Keith Scott Francis, and their spouses; eight grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; her sister Marcy Russey and brother-in-law James Russey; sister-in-law Marilyn Abernathy; numerous nieces and nephews; and countless friends and acquaintances blessed by her kind and loving spirit. She would want to be remembered most of all for her wonderful pride in her family; her unending love and care for family, friends and even strangers; and her devotion to Christ, whom she served so well her entire life. A CELEBRATION OF LIFE will be held to remember Jody on Friday, February 15, 2019, 2:00pm, at the Life.Church South Broken Arrow campus, 5801 S. Elm, Broken Arrow, OK, where Jody’s grandson Corbin Francis serves as Campus Pastor. The Celebration will be led by Corbin, Eddie Stephens, Jerome Williams, and Booker Murphy, and will include remembrances and congregational singing of some of Jody’s favorite hymns from her time at the Garnett Church. Those attending are encouraged to stay after the celebration and visit together as long as they would like.In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Jody’s name to the “Cure Alzheimer’s Fund.” To donate, please visit https://curealz.org/giving/donate or simply text the word RESEARCH to the number 41444 and complete the form you receive.
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